Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder.” ~ E.B. White
I am an ordinary wonder seeker. I look for wonder out the window, in the yard, and on walks. Glancing out our front door last week, I spotted an unlikely visitor—a journeying monarch butterfly. This pilgrim found the butterfly weed we planted a few years ago – its buds ripening but not yet in bloom.
The monarch landed on each milkweed plant for a few seconds, drawn to them like bees to nectar. (Monarchs lay their eggs on milkweed.) It rode the breeze encircling the front yard, then vanished in a matter of minutes. A fleeting moment that easily could have been missed. An unexpected wonder on an ordinary day.
I got curious…Where did this butterfly’s journey originate? Where was it headed? And how in the world did it find this small patch of butterfly weed in our yard?
Later that afternoon, I went outside to look for eggs on the plant. Expecting (and hoping) to find eggs, I encountered another wonder – a small monarch caterpillar feasting on the leaves. Stooping down to watch something so small made the moment all the more wondrous. In its diminutiveness, I found expansiveness.
Wonder begets wonder. How long has the caterpillar been there? When were those eggs laid?
The monarch’s multigenerational migration is no small wonder. From Mexico to Canada in the spring, then back to Mexico to their wintering grounds, it can take up to four generations to make a one-way journey.
Like this passing monarch, many wonders are ephemeral. Wonder is sometimes about being in the right place at the right time. But if we practice a posture of expectancy, wonder is always under our noses, all around us. It can be the lens through which we see. A lens of openness, curiosity, and receptivity.
Wonder is a nod to the sacred in the every day. The budding perennial, the trill of the Towhee’s spring song, the veins in a heart-shaped leaf, the gradients of color in a small stone. The shapeshifting cloud above us. In a posture of wonder, we figuratively kneel offering our fullness to the fullness of what we are attending to.
Wonder is a point of connection – a meeting place of our inner and outer landscapes. In stepping outside and outside of ourselves, we often can be found.
Wonder is both a noun (as in a cause of astonishment, a marvel, a miracle) and a verb (as in to be curious about). In This is How a Robin Drinks, Joanna Brichetto reminds us that “Both kinds of wonder lead to connect, which leads to love, which leads to protect.”
The butterfly weed will soon be wearing bright orange hats. We are drawn to flowers for their beauty, but the greatest wonder of this flora is that of host. Its offering of sustenance. Its offering of a birthplace. Its offering of a temporary home. It is a micro ecosystem made for a pilgrimage—full of wonder.
Invitation: Giving Voice to Wonder
This stanza from Mary Oliver’s poem Sometimes is often quoted:
“Instructions for living a life:
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.”
Reflect on each line from Oliver’s “instructions” and journal about what each means for you.
~ Pay attention: In what ways are you particularly gifted to pay attention? Do you easily pick up on smells? Are you a keen observer of fine details? Do you often notice connections among things? Are you drawn to expansive landscapes such as the sky?
~ Be astonished: What often astonishes you or captures your attention? What calls you into a holy pause? How can you foster moments of wonder?
~ Tell about it: Be open to some of the special ways you can share about the wonder you encounter. Perhaps through photos, a painting, writing, or poetry? Maybe sharing in meaningful conversations or storytelling? Or through education?
If You’re Wondering…
About monarchs and their migration
About Mary Oliver
About author E.B. White: Some Writer! by Melissa Sweet is a wonder-filled, illustrated biography for children and adults.
