Wonder

December 4 – Wonder. 
How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year? 
(Author: Jeffrey Davis)


According to the good folk of Merriam Webster, wonder (wən-dər for those interested in phonetics) can be defined as "rapt attention or astonishment at something awesomely mysterious or new to one's experience". 
A new experience, eh?! I think I am open to and often awed by new experiences. Davis asks how did I cultivate a sense of wonder in my life this year? I would argue that by merely being open to new experiences, one essentially invites wonder their way - it's as simple as that. Wonder, for me at least, is not typically associated with momentous, life changing events, but more often, those ostensibly trivial  happenings astonish and amaze. Accordingly, I have decided that today's post is best expressed in bullet points. So, here goes - the following have made for a Wonder(full!) 2010:

• Watching my part of the world turn from yellow to green within the course of a year - the drought has broken - huzzah! 
• Learning to create jewellery from clay.
• An appreciation for some of the more...umm..."acquired" tastes on the planet - century egg anyone?
• My quadriceps (yes, they actually exist and decided to show themselves in late 2010).
• The realisation that baking is doable and, moreover, fun.
• My cheeky tabby realising that she can leap onto the top of the fridge (in a single bound) and take advantage of the heat escaping from the door seal. 
• Watching my Maine Coon chomp his way through chicken necks and other meaty bones much to his delight - he truly has jaws of a champion!
• Shocking myself by the pent up raw emotion that surfaced when my beloved Magpies won the AFL flag.

But most of all....
I am constantly awed, astonished and impressed by the brilliance, compassion and warmth of my wonderful friends and family. My eternal thanks to all of you!