Witness to the wonder of it all
Back in the days when I was a career woman, business cards were important.
It was important to give one to everyone I interviewed or hoped to interview so they knew how to contact me.Now that I only work part-time, cards must still be important because people keep asking me for one.I’m surprised how many retired people hand out name cards. Some simply say “retired” while others have rather original cards.My new friend David has an intriguing card that must make women wish for a guy like that.In place of occupation, he lists: cook, meal planner, pool boy, dishwasher, dog caretaker, wife pleaser, grocery shopper, designated driver, entertainment planner, restaurant reviewer, chauffeur and bill payer.How many guys do you know who relish the title “wife pleaser?” David’s wife says it’s all true.Perhaps the name card I am fondest of is that of my friend, Ed. He, too, lists his activities — artist, woodcarver, duck decoys, birchbark and ash baskets.But it’s what he lists next that resonates with me — witness to the wonder of it all.Ed just celebrated his 100th birthday and he still hands out name cards. Every card has this title: Witness to the wonder of it all.How’s that for a different kind of title?This remarkable man, who still has the zeal and the sharp mind of a young man, has seen a lot of life and has learned many lessons. Yet he’s fast to say one of the best things he learned is to appreciate all the small wonders we have around us and to recognize them as the gift that they are.Although he has traveled around the world and has seen its many wonders, he says one doesn’t have to travel far to appreciate the wonder of it.“There are so many wonders in your own backyard,” says the nature lover.You know how we meet some people and there is an instant chemistry that lets us know we want to know that person better? That happened with me the first time I interviewed Ed.I think he was 91 at the time and was still going out in his kayak to trim mangroves so other kayakers could enjoy their trip through the mangroves.Now, nine years later, he still intrigues me. His name card says it all: Witness to the wonder of it all.I so relate to that message. There are often times during the day when I am awed by the beauty around me. There are many times when I think the world is just too wonderful to comprehend.When I get up each day, one of the first things I do is to go for what I call my gratitude walk.Each day is so different. Even the breeze feels different. Sometimes it’s warm and caressing. Other times it turns into a punishing cold wind. But when I dress for the weather, I like being out in the wind first thing in the morning.I’m not often an early riser so I don’t always get the pleasure of watching the day come to light. But each time I see that spectacle, I am awed by the wonder of it all.I like the early morning stillness as I see the first red streak in the dark sky. Then within an hour, it’s like someone turned every light on in the house.If you’re an early riser, especially if you are “a walker,” you’ve probably noticed each day has a different intensity.Walking is a great way to tune into the beauty of an ordinary day and to the wonders of nature.While I count walking as one of the things I do for my health, I’m not a power walker who zips along as fast as I can. How will I ever notice the wonders of each day if fly past everything without truly seeing?For that same reason, I don’t wear earphones to listen to music while I walk. Nature plays its own symphony, if we pay attention.Some birds make me stop in my tracks as they sing their little hearts out, filling my world with joyful sounds. I’m always amazed to see it’s the smallest birds with the loudest sound.Other birds make me laugh with their single note they crackle over and over.Speaking of laughing, I think the vilified crows often sound like they are laughing. Perhaps they’re laughing at us.When I bike, I can’t see these awesome little players. Walking lets you see nature’s symphony musicians.Unless I have a walking companion, I usually don’t walk at night. But lately the night sky has been so intriguing that I just have to be out there appreciating what my friend Ed calls “the wonder of it all.”The stars have been especially bright this week, causing me to just gaze in wonder. The full moon we just had also gave me extra appreciation for the beauty of the night sky.I found the more we take time to observe the smallest aspects of nature, the more we learn to appreciate the wonder of our world.There are major wonders of the world along with many tiny wonders. But the greatest wonder of all is what we feel when we take time to appreciate it all.Contact Pattie Mihalik at