Habit of the Week ~ Responding With Wonder & Awe

Responding with Wonder and Awe

Absolute Ahh-mazement, Jaw dropping Moments

This week I asked the students to say Ahhhhhhhhh. And freeze. That is Wonder and Awe, I explained. It's the moment when your jaw drops open and you are amazed at something....  Or someone. Or a thought or discovery. An idea. Or beauty.

I encouraged them to NOT pass these moments by, but to stop. Stop and step into the moment of Wonder and Awe to see what is there.  "You don't want to miss it," I said.

Which reminded me of a Chester story... of course it did :) . 

We were walking down the hallway at Schreiber Pediatric, on our way to visit Melissa, (our Girl Scout Cookie Friend!), when I heard someone call me. "Excuse me, you with the dog :)."

I turned around. The woman quickly explained to me that she was a Speech Therapist and her patient, who had never spoken a full sentence, was able to put words together for the first time, asking  "Can I pet the dog?"  

Talk about jaw-dropping moments.

The Speech Therapist continued, "I know you are on your way to an appointment, but would you mind letting my patient pet your dog?"    Oh my goodness, OF COURSE!   About face!

We stepped into her office and there we found a smiling little girl, about 6 or 7 years old, who sat quietly & eagerly waiting to pet the dog.  

"I hear you would like to pet my dog, Chester." I gently smiled.

She nodded, touching his soft fur. Then out came the words,  "I have a dog."

The Speech Therapist, with tears in her eyes, held up 2 fingers, "Sentence # 2", she whispered.

"You have a dog too?" I asked.

The little girl unzipped her backpack, pulling out a stuffed doggy. "This is my dog." she said.

 Sentence #3.

Sometimes the most magnificent Wonder and Awe Moments happen when you are on your way...

I'm so thankful we pawsed and stepped into the moment. 

It was a miracle moment indeed.