WOW: Wonder, Wonder Everywhere

A sea bird with origami-like wings and a pointed tail soars up above;
Flies over giant palm fronds dancing on trees in the breeze just north of where I am surfing.
I look out to the horizon to catch wave number 19,
Another lined up in perfect geometry.
Short side toward the rocks to my right growing taller out to the left;
I have come to know that the direction of the slant will reverse by the time it reaches me.
I paddle toward shore, angle the board first toward the rocks, then away.
And, wweeeeeeee!
I am soaring, crouching small, standing tall, flying across a wall of water almost effortlessly.
Whitewater crashes, I angle towards shore, still more!
I lower down to my belly, jump off, and turn around to go find number 20.

This morning I sat hugging the rocks at my favorite surf spot during the brief interval between sets of waist-to-shoulder-high waves one after another.

As I looked around ruminating over what I might capture for this Monday WOW, I realized that my commitment to write about wonder has opened the door to an experience of being bathed in its presence.

Daily, WOW’s show themselves more often than I can count: in my daughter’s curiosity about the flowers on a bush; when I watched her recently interact with the ocean (pictured above) as if she was a symphony conductor, thin, long stick waving in her right hand and all; in surfing on the same wave as my husband…twice in one session; and as a client tears as she shares that she feels seen and inspired in our work.

Not to mention the moments that I eat with joy these days. When I choose bread or cheese or a cookie because they sound and feel like nourishment, and I welcome them into my body rather than brace myself with fear as I am chewing. For a woman who once experienced crippling anxiety around food and my body, I now experience wonder often in the little moments of dining. I notice the way the crust of well-baked bread crumbles or the comforting fluffy yet firm texture of Japanese rice.

In a short time, I have attuned to the abundance of wonder around us, and I’m inspired to invite you to join in. How do you experience wonder? What moment would you capture to share for a Monday WOW? Put words to your wonder or share a photo with us by joining in and replying below.

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