Having some time one afternoon, I stopped in at a local bookstore. As is my habit, I went first to see the books on the reduced price table. As I looked over the titles, I stumbled onto a large hardbound volume of photos from the Hubble space telescope. I paged through the pictures and left my mind to wonder.
The scientists working with Hubble explained that the photos were evidence that the universe is 14 billion years old. Fourteen billion? How can I make any sense of a number like that? Now in my mid-fifties, I no longer consider myself “young.” But billions and billions of years old is simply beyond my grasp. All I can do is look at the photographic images and allow my mind to wonder in an attempt to take some of the expanse of the universe into my comparably very small mind.
Late this afternoon, I completed a weekly household chore: moving the garbage cans from the back of the house, up the drive-way, to the front of the house for the early morning pick-up. It’s one of those chores I don’t particularly like. When I’m doing it, it seems that each step I take in the drive-way is really about ten steps further than it actually is. Today, while pulling the trash barrel along, I paused and noticed: a rose blooming in our garden. Yes, it’s early January and the beauty of the rose had come to full flower. It’s so intricate and lovely as it stands in stark contrast to the shades of brown left from dead leaves and faded grass in the yard. As I continued my chore, I found myself humming the French Christmas tune, “Lo, how a rose e’re blooming from tender branch has sprung.” Yes, indeed: in my own backyard.
The ability to wonder at beauty, to be in awe of life as we encounter it, is an essential aspect of caring for the soul. Our inner spirit is nurtured by these momentary pauses during which we may take in something of the richness of the world. A sense of wonder draws us out of ourselves and our preoccupations to encounter something more about life itself.
Much of life is very routine: we get up, complete regular tasks, visit with familiar people, and finish most days without fanfare. But throughout our routine activities, we can permit ourselves to pause and experience awe and wonder. Sometimes, it happens when having a few extra minutes to visit a book store. Other times it happens while taking out the trash. Most days, after I pour that first cup of coffee, I step out on the back deck for a moment to take a fresh breath of air and look over the back yard and trees. Often, there’s something that catches my eye for a moment to remind me that I’m alive – even despite my usual morning fog.
As we begin a new year, perhaps we can allow ourselves to be more mindful of the beauty around us. Allow yourself to experience wonder and awe throughout what are ordinary days. In time, you’ll find as I have that these moments to pause and take in something of beauty help to transform the simplest of routines into a richer and fuller life.