Open your eyes to wonder

My days often have a grey sameness; things that once held charm have become ordinary; things that were exciting and new have become routine.

My granddaughter helps me to see our world through new eyes. When I have been shuffling sleepily through life, she wakes me up to the wonders of our world. 

On the walk home from school a few years ago, she exclaimed excitedly over some bright yellow “flowers” growing on the boulevard. When the new sidewalk went in, the boulevard was backfilled with soil that contained canola seeds. A fine crop of canola bloomed along our city street. To me they were weeds but her young eyes appreciated the beauty of their blossoms.

By the time we had walked three blocks I had been presented with a bouquet of brome grass, canola and Manitoba maple leaves. It made a lovely nosegay that had to go into a tumbler of water before it graced my dining table. Some would say I had brought weeds into the house, but I was pleased that someone had given me flowers.

Each day we encounter things that are so ordinary they are almost weeds in our eyes.  But when they are discovered with joy and assembled with care, they become a thing of beauty. Each day we have the option of creating a bouquet of moments with which to decorate our lives.

A guidebook for parents suggests we “make the ordinary come alive” for our children. We can admire the Wooly Bear caterpillar as it wriggles across the sidewalk. We can throw a pebble into a puddle and watch the ripples we have set in motion. We can lie back and watch the fluffy clouds creating pictures in the sky. 

On a crisp September morning I paused during my yard work to catch the unique calls of cranes flying high. It took several seconds to find the flock of birds riding the thermals. I followed their flight for a few seconds until I was distracted. When I looked up again they had disappeared into the clouds. I could still hear them, but they were no longer visible. Many of life’s special moments are as fleeting. It takes only a few seconds to stop and appreciate them but if we miss that moment, they are gone.

Each day we have the opportunity to make the ordinary come alive. We can cherish everyday moments. We can be grateful for each treasure of living. 

Each morning, wake up to wonder. Taste the coffee, smell the roses, breathe the air. 

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