Be Astonished

I recently discovered the poet Mary Oliver and I'm already obsessed! I saw this quote on a blog I read - "Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" and I immediately googled her. That famous quote is from her poem "The Summer Day."

She is inspired by nature and takes daily walks in the woods with a pencil and paper. She started doing this when she was young, about 12 years old, and hasn't stopped yet at the age of 76. She is continually amazed and in awe of the world around her, which totally resonates with me. I have written posts in the past about how I see new things nearly every day living in the woods (here and here) and how it makes me feel like a kid again. That child-like wonder is such a special feeling and I hope that I never lose it.

Every year when spring is about to roll around I think, "There's no way the leaves and blooms will come back this year. Everything is too barren to recover." And every year I am blown away by the fact that color does return. It is the greatest magic trick I've ever witnessed.

No matter how many times I've seen a baby cow running across a field, I always let out a girly squeal when I see it on my way home from work. And jumping baby goats - all bets are off (witness the insanity here and here and try not to squeal).

"Instructions for living a life.
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it."
-Mary Oliver

~Tammy