I'm past middle age (I hope) - if not I'll break Moses' record. Long ago, wherever we were, my mother would say to me, "Look at the clouds, how beautiful" or "Listen, that's a whip-poor-will" or she would show me which trees' leaves turned yellow in the fall, or red.
She didn't lecture, she just shared her delight. Now I understand that seeing the physical beauty of the earth is a way to heal from the ugliness and stress life can bring. And I find wonder in that too.
Love this! I’m Harrison, an ex fine dining industry line cook. My stack "The Secret Ingredient" adapts hit restaurant recipes (mostly NYC and L.A.) for easy home cooking.
LOVE LOVE LOVE this offering!!!! Holy smokes, such an important point you bring into this quagmire of a dumpster fire we're in. The ability to experience Wonder is crucial to resilience. So when I got to your question, my first response was like almost a panic, because I'm not well-equipped in being so present that I experience VISCERAL wonder, the kind you explore through the bath bombs. My body has not had the privilege of this kind of experience as yet because I'm so afraid to feel pain after the injuries I've sustained. But my answer, once the spiral worked its way out, came to: I experience Wonder when I swim. The visions that come into my imagination, the way my body can glide through the water, weightless and effortless, the way the breath synchronizes with the movement. And it is during this experience that the pain gets quieter, softer. Once I get into the pool itself (I always, even after all this time swimming, have to dissociate slightly to get in every time) and then do my first four laps (always a big hurdle, those first four laps because the cortisol starts flowing and my body and breathing are not yet in synch, so I experience a sensation of fight/flight in my nervous system, but it's very much predictable and I know how to swim through it). After those first four laps, Wonder begins. I do not know where I go for the hour + I'm swimming. But it's someplace pretty magical. I crave that water.
It’s pretty easy to make bath bombs….you don’t need lush. I’ll give you a recipe. 😘
Another layer! Alas, I’m already over them. They’ve gone the way of slime & cigarettes. But…I’m still waiting for Parliament Day.
Parliament day is waiting for us!
Maybe we should just make it an annual holiday already. One day a year. We can theme it up or go basic. It could be part of our podcast.
I'm past middle age (I hope) - if not I'll break Moses' record. Long ago, wherever we were, my mother would say to me, "Look at the clouds, how beautiful" or "Listen, that's a whip-poor-will" or she would show me which trees' leaves turned yellow in the fall, or red.
She didn't lecture, she just shared her delight. Now I understand that seeing the physical beauty of the earth is a way to heal from the ugliness and stress life can bring. And I find wonder in that too.
Happy Mothers Day🧡
Happy Mother’s Day to you too!
I definitely find wonder in nature. This is why I visit our local nature reserve several times per week. And it’s always different!
Your mom gave you an everlasting gift 💝
Good stuff 👌
Always a fan of connecting with talented writers like you.
Hi there! And thank you 🙏🏻
Love this! I’m Harrison, an ex fine dining industry line cook. My stack "The Secret Ingredient" adapts hit restaurant recipes (mostly NYC and L.A.) for easy home cooking.
check us out:
https://thesecretingredient.substack.com
I’m a terrible cook, but there’s still hope for my spouse, so I will refer him to your work! Love your stack’s title.
thanks Jen!
https://open.substack.com/pub/rickbailey/p/psyched-da3?r=651pn&utm_medium=ios
Fun piece with a rhetorical takeaway I will not soon forget!
“Writers are persons obsessed with solving problems of their own creation. We generate material. Then we need to fix it.” I can relate to this.
LOVE LOVE LOVE this offering!!!! Holy smokes, such an important point you bring into this quagmire of a dumpster fire we're in. The ability to experience Wonder is crucial to resilience. So when I got to your question, my first response was like almost a panic, because I'm not well-equipped in being so present that I experience VISCERAL wonder, the kind you explore through the bath bombs. My body has not had the privilege of this kind of experience as yet because I'm so afraid to feel pain after the injuries I've sustained. But my answer, once the spiral worked its way out, came to: I experience Wonder when I swim. The visions that come into my imagination, the way my body can glide through the water, weightless and effortless, the way the breath synchronizes with the movement. And it is during this experience that the pain gets quieter, softer. Once I get into the pool itself (I always, even after all this time swimming, have to dissociate slightly to get in every time) and then do my first four laps (always a big hurdle, those first four laps because the cortisol starts flowing and my body and breathing are not yet in synch, so I experience a sensation of fight/flight in my nervous system, but it's very much predictable and I know how to swim through it). After those first four laps, Wonder begins. I do not know where I go for the hour + I'm swimming. But it's someplace pretty magical. I crave that water.
I love this description of your water gliding—
I definitely think trauma makes wonder harder to access. We can get there, but the effort is real.
This is why I am a birdwatcher now 🤩— nature facilitates wonder for me.
Ok so I want a witch’s hat so badly now!! Great writing!
Thanks, Kate!
Me?
Everywhere 😉🦄🦋🕊️💃💫🇨🇦
That’s awesome. I find joy in everyday things, but I definitely do not feel a sense of wonder unless I’m in nature.
A friend just inboxed me that she has totally maintained her capacity for wonder too, just like she had in childhood.
I mean, at age 5, I can recall staring at dust particles with so much fascination. Dust no longer does it for me.
Maybe I’ll circle back someday in old age, if I’m lucky enough.