Did your mom ever say that? Like when you were a teenager and cleaned up your room without being asked? Or you lost something and miraculously found it again? I was just thinking about the wonder in the world and what that looks like… sometimes it’s big like a grand vista but sometimes it’s something that may seem very small but isn’t. In the cottage I’m renting, I have what I call a Shelf of Wonders… it’s those little things that someone made for or gave me or a special photo or memory of an amazing trip. They probably wouldn’t mean much to anyone else but to me they are wonder-full treasures and always bring good memories to my mind of an event or person/s.

One of those items is something my daughter made for me. I’m not a big fan of the traditional idea of Valentine’s Day and I taught her that V-Day is for all kinds of love – friends, family, and anyone else who adds some sparkle to your life and I’d also told her that a gift didn’t have to cost a lot to be special (one year I gave her an empty refrigerator box for Christmas… it was her favorite gift!!). One Valentine’s Day morning, I came downstairs and found a “Love Boat” made out of construction paper… complete with smokestacks and cotton “smoke” coming out of them and a flower-petal wake behind it and little cards with fun sayings on them like “Bee Mine” with a hand drawn bee. I can’t tell you how much that made my day and that Love Boat will be with me until my dying day… and it wasn’t just the gift but also the thought and heart that went into making it that made it so special.

So, it was a “little” thing that packed so much bigness into it… wonder-full indeed! Maybe today, take some time to focus on some of the wonders in your life that you’ve overlooked lately or taken for granted… the things that make your heart smile or bring back a good memory when you see them… and be grate-full in that moment.

Email: theriskfactor.org@gmail.com