In The Presence of Wonder

“Isn’t it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive - it’s such an interesting world. It wouldn’t be half so interesting if we knew all about everything, would it? There’d be no scope for imagination then, would there?” - L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
 
Our daily lives can be a series of frustrations and pain. A simple task causes injury. A phone call brings tears. A distracted driver carelessly swerves in our lane. We wander through the day, grimacing at it all. We complain. We gripe. We glance at the dark clouds and think, “Damn this rain.”

It all depends on our perspective. We can continue to grouse at every inconvenience, sounding like the sad-sack old grey donkey Eeyore from Winnie-the-Pooh.

                                 “Pathetic. That’s what it is. Pathetic.”

But what if we were more like Anne Shirley, Lucy Maude Montgomery’s spirited character in her Anne of Green Gables series? As an orphan who had been abused and mistreated in various foster homes, Anne knew misery, yet when she found Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert and Green Gables, she wrapped herself in joy. Every day was a wonder to Anne. Even when she encountered mean classmates or petty behavior, she chose to see the goodness that surrounded her. Anne looked at life as an adventure, a glorious path overflowing with fragrant wild flowers.

“‘Dear old world,’ she murmured, ‘you are very lovely, and I am glad to be alive in you.”

The challenge is to live each day, hoping to glimpse the presence of wonder. Even dark times possess tremendous beauty. As we grieve or hurt, it is proof we are willing to risk our hearts.

This new blog is an attempt to channel Anne Shirley, to search for wonder in our convoluted, violent, and often miserable world, acknowledging the bruises, and yet discovering the brilliant colors emanating from within. This is the mission, hoping to learn more about art, nature, books, music, and the human condition while living “In The Presence of Wonder."

A storm blew in yesterday, creating this gorgeous vortex of swirling clouds.

Last week a sliver of a new moon winked over the clouds.

There is a careless beauty in weeds that pop up in spring.

“It’s been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will.” - L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables