Wake Up and Pay Attention

This morning, my eldest was awake first — it must be because it is the first day of school holidays — but nonetheless, August and Elliana joined me on a little adventure to see the “crocodile in the creek” and also see if the new playground the local council was building behind our house was finally complete. My only instructions were to find something that grabs your attention and look closely and observe everything about it. 

In just a twenty minute walk we had marvelled at the beauty of a paperbark tree and the dozens of little creepy-crawly’s that live within its peeling layers. We discovered a bright red and metallic purple stink bug that none of us had ever seen before. We patted Bailey, the friendly puppy dog, who took a special liking to August, licking him all over his face. And despite my attempts to scare August that the crocodile would jump out and eat us if we got to close to the creek, he bravely held our hands and dragged us to the waters edge, convinced that we just needed to wake him up. A few sticks hurled at the mostly submerged rock in the middle of the creek, couldn’t “wake up” Mr Crocodile. “We might have more luck waking up Lily from her beauty sleep when we get home”, I reasoned with August, and off we trotted back. 

As we made our way home we picked a couple flowers for mum and suddenly the lyrics to a song in one of my favourite childhood movies sprung to mind. “If you want to be someone, if you want to go somewhere? You better wake up and pay attention.”

After falling in love with the movie, Sister Act — featuring the hilarious Whoopi Goldberg and the incredibly talented and pretty, Lauren Hill (yes, I had a crush on her) — I guess I was destined to move to New York and marry a gorgeous local. 

But there is something profound and simple in that lyric, “wake up and pay attention”. Each morning, we are gifted the opportunity to explore, observe and marvel at the beauty and wonder of everything around us. Who knows what you might discover, or what mystery you might solve? If anything you will start your day with a sense of beauty, awe and gratitude. 

Allow me to leave you with the wise words of the late Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, Mary Oliver…

“Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.”

May you walk today in wonder, grace and truth.