Rediscovering Joy and Wonder

I was about 5 years old, staring into a bassinet where a newborn baby was sound asleep. She was lying on her back and I was as mesmerized by her stillness as I was by her tiny hands. Soon, I became aware of someone standing behind me. It was not my Mom or one of my aunts because I knew that if it were, I would feel a hand on my shoulder or hear a familiar voice speaking to me. I continued to stare at the sleeping baby, and then she made a small sound and she smiled. I was totally amazed, but not by the baby. It was these words, “She is talking with the angels,” that amazed me. The woman standing behind me spoke these words so softly – not to me but to herself. Even at 5, I understood when someone was speaking to me and when she was not. It was not the woman’s words that amazed me – they seemed true enough to me – it was the way she spoke them. It was, I realized many years later, a tone that was full of wonder.

Joy and wonder! I link these two words because there seems for be something magical when we experience joy and wonder in the same moment. So, how do we rediscover joy and wonder when we are not watching a newborn talk with the angels? Times when you have experienced joy and wonder may have just immediately come to mind. When we are prompted, that often happens. We think about a gorgeous sunrise after a storm, or the first fireflies of summer, or splashing in the ocean, or some moment when we felt sheer, unbridled joy AND a sense of awe and wonder. The important question is this – how do we rediscover joy and wonder in our day-to-day lives even as we live in these very challenging times? How do we experience joy and wonder every day? Every day.

I believe in the magic of everyday life, and believe we can choose to notice the magic within us and around us. We can pause for a few moments to notice the glistening dew on the grass, the way the light seemed to flash just as our eyes rested on those sparkles. We can drink in the beauty of the light reflected in the dew, knowing that it will shift and disappear in a few moments, and realizing that if we had not glanced in this direction in this exact moment, we would have missed this light entirely. Joy in the beauty, wonder in the timing, gratitude for the magic of the moment.

I hope you will share your insights about rediscovering joy and wonder in our daily lives in the “Leave a Comment” box below. Has this ever seemed more important to us than it is now?

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Photo credit: Dave Burwell Photography, DaveBurwell.com
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I also shared this post on Kumud Ajmani’s #SpiritChat Community website…
Rediscovering Joy and Wonder by @AwakeningTrue

4 thoughts on “Rediscovering Joy and Wonder”

  1. Everyday for the past month I have ventured into the forest near my home. Although I take the same trails everyday, everyday the hike is different. Some days the forest is quiet and dark, other days it’s bright and filled with birdsong. Not expecting anything when I enter, I allow for it to unfold before me. Each day, allowing the unfolding becomes an exercise in trust that the forest will teach me it’s wisdom. It definitely continues to do that, and it has enabled me to stay calm and centered in this hectic world we live in.

  2. Beautiful message here Lady Sharon, even in this crazy Pandemic, we can still experience Joy and Wonder. Thanks for reminding us of these Priceless moments, One Love and blessings, always

  3. Your story moved me to tears, Sharon. I have two new granddaughters this summer and knowing that they are indeed talking to angels fills my heart with joy.

    Looking for the moon every day and evening is my way of keeping the wonder alive during these long months of isolation. I watched the full Harvest moon rise over the ocean at the beginning of the month and have seen her again almost every evening in the night sky. And I’m looking forward to the second full moon this month on October 31. Luna’s light fills my heart with joy and wonder.

    Kate

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