Wonder: A Definition
won·der (wun´der): An inspired sensibility or emotion; part mystery, part magic, part hope amidst mortal sorrow. The word is indefinable, inexplicable, and unmeasurable. However, a few more conventional attempts at definition follow:
nouns: 1. miracle, as in: Such a wonder, the butterfly’s transformation! 2. marvel, as in: the wonder of a dawn’s rays on the redwood. 3. something worthy of awe, as in: It’s a wonder that even the youngest child carries cosmic dust from the oldest star. 4. surprise, as in: She embraced me, the wonder of it all.
verbs: 1. to speculate, as in: I wonder how large is the universe. 2. to feel awe, as in: How, she wonders, could that accomplished adult have once been just a child in my womb? 3. to doubt, as in: I wonder whether such a great tree really sprouted from so small a seed.
related uses:
sense of wonder: Present in the completeness of now; awareness of miracles; passion for life, brief though it is; appreciation for all that cannot be bought, sold or reproduced.
spirit of wonder: A child watches a butterfly emerge, wet-winged, into the light. (See the Greek mythological name Psyche, meaning both butterfly and soul.) Or: an elder appreciates the long journey of migrating salmon, swimming across vast stretches of open ocean.
absence of wonder: Imagine a world of entirely artificial materials; no stars visible on high and no phases of the moon; no tides upon the tattered shore; no taste of snowflakes on your tongue; no scent of lilacs or apple blossoms on a spring morn; no wind to rustle the willow leaves; no strolling barefoot on a stream bank; no wild hawk, soaring on the swells; no spiraling song of the meadowlark; no newborn babe in your arms.
origins: Merging of One, as in the one spirit that connects all living creatures; and Dur, as in enduring qualities, lasting memories. From wundurra, derived from the Old Tongue of Avalon and Fincayra, meaning both mystery and inspiration.
T. A. Barron is the author of novels (such as The Ancient One and The Lost Years of Merlin), nature books, and children’s books, all described at www.tabarron.com. He lives in Colorado with his wife, Currie, and five children, who have a boundless sense of wonder.
