Astonish- to fill with sudden and overpowering surprise or wonder; amaze
Why do I love Christmas and celebrations so much? As another holiday season passes by, leaving me with more memories to add to the cushions of my soul, I find myself contemplating that which is at the core of my being. As I look for my answer, I am led to more questions, and in both, I find a common thread... astonishment.
On Christmas morning, while opening the surprise of a framed professional portrait of all of my children, their spouses, and my little grandson, I was "... filled with sudden and overpowering surprise and wonder..." Why? Each person pictured in the framed photo was in the room as I opened my gift. I see them all at least once a week. I know what they look like. I can't explain it, but my soul saw their faces, felt the love, and I was instantly overwhelmed from a place too deep for words. My tears understood what I could not explain, and I will cherish that moment.
Why do mountains, oceans, and the hues of the sky forever capture my attention? Why do I never grow weary of the discoveries of children, and the revelations of adults? Why would I trade a year of shallow conversations for one moment of time where communication leads to inspiration? Why do I love the mysteries of human and spiritual relationships, and the complexity of how the two are also one? Why do I love to mine for words of gold in an attempt to express the experiences of life, which reach far beyond the limits of the spoken word? I love to be astonished.
American culture tends to enjoy a good dose of "shock value". We see it used to promote a product, make a statement, prove a point, or to provoke a variety of predictable reactions. There is an expected outcome from the source of the shock to the recipient. Who couldn't shock someone at any given moment just by making a choice to do so?
I don't want to be shocked, I want to be astonished. Overwhelm me with wonder and surprise. Override the limits of logic and the predictability of being human. This is what I desire... to live out the rest of my life with my heart and soul wide open to life's wonders!
2 comments:
I am often 'astonished' at what nature gifts us with... from a delicate butterfly poised on a flower petal to the energy of a thunderstorm. I enjoyed my visit to your blog! : )
VB
"Why would I trade a year of shallow conversations for one moment of time where communication leads to inspiration?"
Deep, very deep! And, I completely agree. This also a reason why you and I got along so well when we were students together. We want substance!
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