What Happens When We Let Wonder In

Hi friend,

This week’s practice is one I didn’t expect to write — especially not during grief.

But awe surprised me. And maybe it will for you too.

Last week, I was in New York City for my brother’s memorial service — a trip threaded with sorrow, tenderness, and the kind of quiet that settles in when you’re holding a lot. And yet, even inside that heaviness, I found myself moved by moments of awe I didn’t go looking for.

At the Met, in front of paintings I’ve loved since childhood.
In Central Park, wrapped in fall.
On a Halloween block in the Upper West Side bursting with kids and laughter.

None of it erased the grief.
But it held it.

It reminded me that awe isn’t a luxury — it’s a lifeline.

Why Awe Matters

Research tells us awe can:

• Shift us out of stress and into regulation
• Expand our sense of connection
• Reduce rumination
• Increase empathy
• Support nervous system healing

And it doesn’t require big moments. Awe lives in the ordinary, the quiet, the subtle.

This Week’s Practice: Noticing Awe

Here are four ways I’m gently weaving awe into my days:

1. Awe Walks – 10 minutes, no destination, one “wow.”
2. Art as Portal – A daily pause with something human hands created.
3. Sound of the Seasons – Instrumental music that evokes fall.
4. One Sentence at Night:
   What stirred wonder in me today?

You don’t have to feel joyful to feel awe.
You just have to be willing to notice.

What I’m Loving This Week

• Sound: Wind in Trees (Niall, Insight Timer)
• Practice: Wonder-Walk
• Tool: Sky Guide App
• Quote: Mary Oliver’s gentle reminder to “pay attention, be astonished, tell about it.”
• Song: “Wish You Were Here” — Incubus

Next week, I’ll be writing about gratitude — not the kind that bypasses real pain, but the kind that holds truth and tenderness side by side.

With you,
Lisa

P.S. Check out the full blog here.