Unlocking Wonder in Everyday Life

Various lists of the Wonders of the World have been compiled throughout history to catalogue the world's most spectacular natural features and humanbuilt structures. For example, the Taj Mahal Palace in India appears on the list of 7 wonders of the modern world, and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia appears on the 7 wonders of the natural world.

Jewish tradition has much to say about wonder and awe, from the aweinspiring story of creation to blessings we can say when witnessing natural phenomena such as seeing the ocean after a long time, or witnessing a crack of lightning across the sky. Rabbi Danya Rutenberg wrote a book called Nurture the Wow; Finding Spirituality in the Frustration, Boredom, Tears, Poop, Desperation, Wonder, and Radical Amazement of Parenting. Her focus is on parenting but the wisdom she talks about in the book can apply to people in all stages of life. She wrote:

“The messy repetition of life can perhaps bring us to the sacred. As Emma Kipley-Ogman put it, “changing diapers and doing laundry are not,” on the surface anyway, “challenging theologically the same way that illness and pain is” and yet in the seemingly never-ending nature of these tasks deep in the grit of what it is to be a human being she says there is a deep teaching: “I get a sense of what the infinite is about these processes.” ….

“Certainly even just thinking about that pile of laundry or sink full of dishes as a link to the infinite can sometimes pull you out of the mindset of boredom into a far more interesting headspace. But the Jewish mystical tradition has another line of thinking that I find useful as well. Some traditional texts talk about how every act has the potential to release holy sparks - aspects of the transcendent into the universe.”

Note to facilitator: The following are two options to choose from. Both take 10-15 minutes. The first focuses on the natural world, the second on our relationships with others. OPTION A: Facilitator prompts group to reflect on the following with a barometer activity:

• How often do you stop and notice things that you find beautiful or mysterious?

Then, the facilitator invites participants to take a walk in a contained area. On the walk they should jot down notes or drawings of any “wow moments,” which can be identified with the following questions:

• What feels familiar and what feels new?
• What is something that invites you to say “wow!”
• What makes you stop and pause? Maybe it is something you have seen before but have not appreciated. Maybe it is something new. When you have a “wow” moment, capture it by drawing it or describing it in words.

Facilitator prompts the group - turn to a partner and share after five minutes of walking:

• Share one “wow” moment or phenomena you observed on the walk.

OPTION B: The days are long, but the years are short. In the midst of hectic schedules, it can be easy to miss the “wow” moments. Facilitator prompts group to journal about the following prompts:

• What is a time you have felt intense curiosity about or connection to another person?
• What helps you to connect with others?
• If you could design an experience - for you and someone else you care about - where you would feel wonder, what would it look like, sound like, taste like, smell like?

Around the room are various supplies - blank journals and crafting supplies. I invite you to decorate a WOW journal to give to someone else in the room. The journal should have some surprises in it for that other person, possibly some prompts to help them feel wonder in their everyday lives, some images or stickers to prompt surprise or excitement. Or anything else that you feel would spark wonder for someone else. Once you are finished with your journal, I will collect them and then pass them out to their new owners. After time to work on the journals, facilitator gathers the group back together and prompts everyone to turn to a partner and share:

• What was something that stuck out to you that you journaled about and would like to share?
• What do you notice in your journal that makes you surprised, excited, curious, or sparked wonder?