October 12 - Massachusetts

Awe.

Awe is that soul-stirring wonder experienced, sparked by a number of things. The night sky lit up with endless stars. Majestic mountains rising up and dominating the landscape.The ocean, full in its fury or calm.

Webster's defines it as respect, wonder, and fear. It is, all of that, and more. I know this for a fact first-hand.

I read an article in the paper last Sunday about awe which was so aprapos. Especially after my trip to Canada. My past travel experiences - the mountains, the oceans. I have seen and experienced Nature at her best and worst.

I have re-read the article several times. I was struck by its relevance at the point I am in my life now. I will quote a bit from the article, written by Paula Spencer Scott:

"Awestruck - altered in an instant by an electricfying emotion scientists have only recently begun to study. Awe is the feeling of being in the presence of something vast or beyond the human scale that transcends our understanding of things" [Dacher Kelmer, head psychologist of UCal Berkeley's Social Interaction Lab].

"Kids and grown-ups alike have fewer chances these days to find such transformative moments".

Too much chatter; too many electronic devices interfere. I am guilty of the same at times

Awe is "a wow of astronomical proportions...our thinking shifts".

Awe is when we realize we are part of something so much larger it almost hurts to take it all in.
I think back on all my trips and realize how extremely fortunate I have been. To have experienced, taken in, and yeah, recognized that kind of Awe.

The kind that almost brings you to your knees.

All of the mountains - the Alps in their sunny glory or in a blinding snow. The Rockies, so brilliant under a late-winter sunshine. The White Mountains I love so dearly in any season.

The edge of the sea in Canada, even in the rain. Maybe even especially in the rain.

It is an amazing treasure  and not one to be taken lightly.

I, for one, do not.

Recognize those moments and hold them. Ponder them, and hold them closely.