Saturday, May 19, 2007

Living Your Life for the Very First Time

There is a wonderful scene in the movie adaptation of The Cider House Rules where Homer Wells (played by Tobey Maguire) makes his first-ever visit to a movie theater and takes in "Wuthering Heights" (the only other movie he had seen having been "King Kong," when he lived at the orphanage). The look of sheer wonder on his face as he watches -- experiences -- something completely new is really something to see.

Now translate this into your own life: imagine how wonderful our lives would be if every day, every thing we do and see could be experienced as if for the very first time. Going to job on your 157th Tuesday morning would feel like your very first day on the job; seeing your child on their 15th birthday would feel the same as the first time you looked at them and held them on the day they were born; looking at your spouse every day would be as if it's the first time you've seen them; reading a passage in the Bible or a great theological work would generate feelings of exhilaration you felt the first time you read it years ago.

I think that the power to do this is in us, with us, around us. Having this same sense of newness and wonder would make every day feel like it was the first day of your life.

2 comments:

karen said...

This is great; Just trying to see everyday things through a child's eyes...you're in a great place now, aren't you? :-)

Ha! The word verification say's "eye 'em"!

ipanema said...

We colour our world as we see it. If we want to be lonely, it's all up to us. Yes, we can make things better in our own special way as the power to do this as you've mentioned is with us, around us and in us. How very true!

Lovely post!