Today, the temperature outside is around 32 degrees, a very happy temperature for Minneapolis in January. As I gaze out my window at my bird feeders I notice that the birds visiting the feeders are no longer puffed up like chubby marshmallows. Instead their proportions have returned to their usual size, sans fluffed up feathers, because the temperatures are so mild.
What a difference the temperature makes for the birds – left was on a below zero day, right on a day with ~32 degree temp
Seeing the birds at the feeders today reminded me of photos I made just a few days ago of a very fluffy goldfinch. For a moment I was astonished at the difference. How can a bird look twice as big one day as it does the next? Isn’t it amazing that wild animals survive the frigid temperatures of our winters in Minnesota?
As I thought about it, I realized that not only am I
Willing to Be Astonished
but I actively look for astonishment and wonder on a daily basis.
“A Permeable Life is about what presses out from the heart, what comes in at a slant and what shimmers below the surface of things. To live permeably is to be open-hearted and audacious, to risk showing up as our truest self, and embracing a willingness to be astonished.”
― A Permeable Life: Poems & Essays
Today my blooming amaryllis flowers fill me with astonishment and joy, despite the fact that I have seen and photographed amaryllis flowers frequently in the past few years.
This morning I played with intentional camera movement. With two amaryllis bulbs racing to open their blooms at the same time, I have plenty of inspiration in front of me.
Each Day Brings New Astonishments
In the early morning when I first head out to the dining room I wonder what will the flowers look like today? Will they be fully open yet? Which bulb is going to win the race to open first? Each morning brings a new astonishment. The bulbs are neck and neck now, both opening their flowers rapidly.
Compare the photo above with the one directly below. It was only a few hours between when I made the photo above and the photo below, but you can see how the blossoms have opened in that short time.
It seems to me that cultivating astonishment is another way to cultivate joy. How boring life would be without astonishment, wonder, and joy.
Look closely at this magnificent plant…
Isn’t it astonishing? The stem of the flower is almost 3 feet long. The curves and shapes of the stems are so graceful, the drooping sepals of the flowers are graceful, even the wilting flowers of a previously blooming amaryllis beside this plant are graceful.
“Witness each moment in astounded jubilation. Take every holy breath in gratitude. Rejoice in life!”
― Simple Reminders: Inspiration for Living Your Best Life
You might think that I am easily astonished. But let me tell you, my friends, life IS astonishing, improbable, and miraculous. You only need to be willing to see it.
Wishing that you are willing to be astonished today and every day.
May you walk in beauty.
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