Duckling Moment
November 26, 2007
"One way to express the spiritual crisis of our time
is to say that most of us have an address but cannot
be found there."
---- Henri Nouwen
The young couple stood in the ticket queue at Knott's
Berry Farm. Between the ticket kiosk and the main
gate their two young boys--maybe ages five and six--
were passing the time, playing, waiting for their
parents. Their focus of attention: a family of Mallard
ducks. A mom, dad and several new ducklings.
Because the ducks lived at the theme park, they were
untroubled by the presence of people. The boys were
flat on ther bellies, eye to eye with the ducklings,
enamored, captivated and giggling. With tickets finally
in hand, the parents walked up to find their boys on
the pavement. They were overheard saying,
loudly, "Boys, get up off of there. We've got to get into
the park and start having fun."
Every day, we are bombarded with the same insistent injunction, with the implication that life begins elsewhere. And we miss the "duckling moments".
Rediscovering wonder (or duckling moments) takes root in the soil of the simple sentence, "I never noticed that before." I am welcoming, inviting life in, not allowing internal censors and judges to scrutinize, making certan that this moment passes muster. In moments of amazement, we render our internal scorekeeper mute. There is a good deal of conjecture about who merits this streak of luck and why. Some people get all the moments of astonishment. Or perhaps, like these young boys, they've allowed themselves to see. Either way, these moments sustain us. They create a fabric in our soul which absorbs daily miracles, and the Sacrament of the Blessed Present.
Every day, we are bombarded with the same insistent injunction, with the implication that life begins elsewhere. And we miss the "duckling moments".
Rediscovering wonder (or duckling moments) takes root in the soil of the simple sentence, "I never noticed that before." I am welcoming, inviting life in, not allowing internal censors and judges to scrutinize, making certan that this moment passes muster. In moments of amazement, we render our internal scorekeeper mute. There is a good deal of conjecture about who merits this streak of luck and why. Some people get all the moments of astonishment. Or perhaps, like these young boys, they've allowed themselves to see. Either way, these moments sustain us. They create a fabric in our soul which absorbs daily miracles, and the Sacrament of the Blessed Present.
Poems / Prayers
Poem
Written in a Carefree Mood
One man pushing seventy
in truth he acts like a little boy
whooping with delight when he spies some mountain fruits
laughing with joy, tagging after village mummers;
with the others having fun stacking tiles to make a pagoda,
standing alone staring at his image in a jardiniere pool.
Tucked under his arm, a battered book to read,
just like the time he first set off for school.
Lu Yu (translated by Burton Watson)
Prayer
Dear Lord, grant me the grace of
wonder. Surprise me, amaze me,
awe me in every crevice of Your
universe. Delight me to see how
Your Christ plays in ten thousand
places. . .to the Father through
the features of men's faces. Each
day enrapture me with Your
marvelous things without number.
I do not ask to see the reason
for it all; I ask only to share
the wonder of it all.
Rabbi Abraham Heschel
Peace,
Terry Hershey
