What’s in a Name?
Wonder & Awe Forest Play.
As I was dreaming, thinking and envisioning of what this offering for children would look like and feel like, I wanted to ensure that I was able capture glimmers of inspiration in the name.
Wonder is defined as “a feeling of surprise mingled with admiration, caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar, or inexplicable. ” in the Oxford Dictionary.
Awe is defined as “a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder.”
Moving to the province of British Columbia, almost four years ago now, was a dream come true. I first visited this province when I was 25 years old and I knew immediately that I wanted to return one day to live. I spent only one week here. My time was spent at the shores of the Pacific Ocean, seeing ocean creatures like starfish, crabs, and barnacles as well as walking among the giant conifers, beautiful green mosses, and swaying ferns. The beauty of British Columbia filled me with a sense of wonder & awe. Fast forward 20 years, and my family would now be calling this province home.
We have settled in the small community of Stave Falls, Mission, BC, surrounded by giant conifers, glacier-fed lakes, and a stream that runs through the ravine behind our home. We purchased this property with the intention of sharing our space with children and their families. There is something very special about this property. You feel it as you enter the drive and turn the bend. There’s a moment of exhalation and you feel at peace.
My work with children is very important to me. I am honoured to have parents trust me with their most precious gifts and I feel a deep responsibility to either awaken or protect their child’s sense of wonder. Invitations to slow down, to observe, to revel, to appreciate, and to care for are given to each child throughout their time here. These invitations allow each child to experience wonder. Once a child experiences wonder, it is always followed with awe. Experiencing moments of awe fills you with joy, steady calmness, exhilaration, and connectedness. Nature provides so many moments of wonder & awe. A spider web glistening in the morning light. The slime of a banana slug on a leaf. The feather moss & fairy helmet mushrooms growing on a bended bough.
My invitation to you, as you are reading this, is to take time each day to capture your own glimmers of inspiration as you are spending time in nature. Write it down. Reflect on what captured your attention. Give thanks for the ability to slow down, observe, revel, and appreciate the natural wonders that surround us and fill us with awe.
