A Life of Wonder

The thing about a practice is you practice it.

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We have questions buried in our hearts and minds that we don’t ask other people or even ourselves.

These might be questions we never thought to ask, or maybe we’re scared to ask them.

Make a list of the unasked questions on something that can be easily erased, like a paper towel that you can dip in water or a piece of paper that can be burned.

These questions we don’t ask are like keys to locked rooms.

You can ask your parents if you were always like this, ask your brothers or sisters if they remember childhood the same way as you do, ask your husband or wife about their dreams, or even ask yourself about what’s trying to happen right now.

The funny thing about locked rooms is you never know if you want to open them until you look inside.

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Salman Rusdhie famously asked, “How does newness come into the world? How is it born? Of what fusions, translations, conjoinings is it made? How does it survive, extreme and dangerous as it is?” 

I buried this quote somewhere, maybe scribbled it on a napkin, or underlined it once, or whispered it to myself, pledging to remember it.

And I forget it entirely until today where I read the eulogy of Charles Simic, the poet, being eulogized by another poet, his dear friend:

“Charlie’s poems are certainly original in the only sense that counts: they were impossible to imagine existing before they were written.” -D.R.

That line brought back Rushdie and the feeling that true creativity lives beyond our ability to conceptualize it before it appears.

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A conversation with a best friend today deepened my perspective and gave me a sense of peace. Citing the C.S. Lewis quote, “True Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less,” he reminded me that the service towards others is soothing and healing, and that the experience of suffering leads to knowledge and unintended, positive outcomes.

 As he spoke, I visualized the self as an open jar, and the more compassion and service to others contained within it, the less room there is for fear and doubt. As the conversation concluded, he shared a verse near to his heart, which touched mine: 
“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin.” I am grateful to have such a best friend.

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One of the most profound questions that I’ve been asked was “do you need a crisis in order to wake up?” 

If the meaning isn’t immediately obvious to you, I’ll ask my friend ChatGPT to put it in perspective: 

The phrase “do you need a crisis in order to wake up” suggests that a person might not be fully aware or attentive to their circumstances or surroundings unless something drastic or problematic happens. It implies that the person may be in a state of complacency or unawareness and that a crisis or emergency is needed to shock them out of it.

This phrase could be interpreted in different ways and may be used to encourage someone to be more aware or mindful of their surroundings, to pay attention to potential problems or issues, or to encourage them to make changes in their life before a crisis occurs. It could also be used more broadly to suggest that people often do not make necessary changes or improvements until they are faced with a difficult or challenging situation.

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Of all the super powers available to us, perhaps the most potent and important is our ability to question the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves. Stories that we use to describe who we are. Stories that give us meaning and dimension, while at times confining us to the limits of who we understand ourselves to be. Those we love support us in this. They remind us of who we are and cultivate our essence. And in so doing, they reinforce who they believe us to be.

I’d like to challenge my understanding of these stories and emerge with fresh perspectives. By seeing ourselves differently, we’ll see the world differently, as well how we understand our place within it. What stories about yourself have you outgrown? Which assumptions about who you are should you challenge? If you figure this out, let me know; i’ll be working on it, too.–

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This book caught me eye. I haven’t read it, but I want to. I love the premise and am excited by the reviews.

“Extinct is filled with curious, half-remembered objects, each one evoking a future that never came to pass. It is also a visual treat, full of interest and delight.”

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“You can pick all the flowers, but you can’t stop the spring.” – Pablo Neruda

the beauty of this slice of poetry is in its framing of the inevitable, not as something to be dreaded, feared even (i.e., death), but as something to be celebrated. The eternal forces are always with us, guiding us towards beauty.

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Tonight I went to a workshop and talk by a survivor of the Rwanda genocide. The premise of the workshop was to reflect on why we tell stories and to invite us to tell new ones for the new year. The facilitator of the event founded a nonprofit designed to create healing in Rwanda. The nonprofit gives a cow to share between two families: one who survived genocide and one who contributed to it. In nurturing the cow, they simultaneously cultivate healing between them. I am intrigued by how their shared love of an animal can produce a love and healing for their community, too.

See >

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