Have a Wonder-full Life

There is wonder all around us, but too often we are blind to its beauty and power

In the "Dear Diary" section of The New York Times recently, a woman (Johanna Hurwitz) wrote in about our "changing times." She noticed that "Have a nice day" is no longer adequate. In one morning alone, three different people -- a woman behind the counter at the post office, a man in the dry-cleaning store and a vendor selling her a sesame bagel -- concluded their transaction with "Have a wonderful day."

She went on to conclude, "I'll do my best" (Ron Alexander, "Metropolitan Diary," December 17, 1997, B3).

Leave it to postmodern culture to make experiencing "wonder" yet another chore to add on to our daily "Things to Do" list. The closer the 21st century gets, the more we can be found trying to regain a sense of spirituality in our busy, bustling, bursting-at-the-seams lives. But we can't quite get it right.

Wonder, by its very nature, cannot be programmed into our Day-Timer. Genuine wonder stops your heart, sucks away your breath, robs you of your speech, freezes you in your...