Word of the Day: Wonder
Recently, I wrote about the word innocence and a collective call to reclaim innocence. A phrase that often comes up in relation to innocence is “childlike wonder.” Wonder is a word we use often on it’s own as well. Many curious quests for knowledge start with the words “I wonder…”
Ever wondered what it really means to wonder? Let’s explore the truth of the word through etymology.
wonder (noun) : a feeling of surprise mingled with admiration, caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar, or inexplicable.
wonder (verb) : desire or be curious to know something
Wonder stems for the Old English word wundor meaning “marvelous thing, unheard of or supernatural event, object of astonishment.” In late Old English the word was used to describe something perplexing. This is a root of the modern usage “I wonder” in relation to something we have yet to figure out. Later in the 13th century it became commonly used to describe amazement and awe.
In the definition and etymology of wonder, we see the words: surprise, admiration, beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar, inexplicable, desire, curious, marvelous, unheard of, supernatural, astonishment, perplexing, amazement, and awe.
One of my animal guides is the ladybug. She appears to me in dreams, meditations, and everyday life when I need to reconnect with wonder. Imagine the world through the eyes of the ladybug. Imagine looking up at flowers, trees, humans, animal life, grasses, and the sky from the perspective of something much smaller than us. From this perspective so much of our surroundings inspire wonder, amazement, and awe.
In their curiosity, children are models of wonder as well. Many of the world’s mysteries are still yet to be explored in youth. There is beauty in this state of wonder.
Wonder can be a wonderful medicine when we are stuck in a routine or rut. In the hustle and bustle of daily life we might disconnect from the everyday beauty and magic around us. Wonder reminds us that there are forces and mysteries bigger than us, bigger than our daily problems and dilemmas.
If you find yourself in a place of depression, boredom, apathy, or other forms of unhappiness, can you connect back into wonder? Look at the world through the eyes of a child or a ladybug. Remember that there are unexpected, unfamiliar objects of astonishment in the world. Seek to learn new things with curiosity. There are many wonder-full mysteries waiting to be explored.
