On Miracles, Hawks and Not Hawks

Dec 8. 2025

On Miracles, Hawks and Not Hawks

This morning, while out in the big field at the end of my road walking my silly dog Andy, I looked up and saw a hawk circling. Right over my head. Time slowed down. My chest expanded as a feeling of awe spread through me. I stood there with my neck craned, mesmerized. That was when I realized it was just a big seagull. Oh. Oh well. So I carried on with my walk and forgot all about it.

Did you ever notice what makes something feel miraculous?

When I’ve been out of town, even if just for the weekend, and I roll off the freeway and into our neighborhood, everything seems so fresh! The houses, the beautiful ancient towering trees, the curves in the road, the convenience store and its bright green paint. It's almost as if I’m seeing it for the first time, but I’ve dreamed about it often in a recurring dream.

Then, entering the house. Oh! The best! It feels amazing! That sweet comfortable space that is so mine. So lived in. So comfortable! So cozy! When I’ve been away, coming home is incredibly luxurious. My own bed! All of my stuff! My family!

But the thing is, I do that every single day! Every day I drive down the gentle slope and into my neighborhood. Every day I pass that convenience store with its questionable paint color choices. Every day I am surrounded by those trees! Every day I open my front door and walk into my home and sleep in my bed.

I think we need to fight the human urge to take things for granted. We need to actively fight it! That water coming out of your tap? Miracle. That goofy wiggly dog that is so happy to see you? Miracle. The soft gentle grass under your feet? Miracle. The coffee pot gurgling in the morning with its intoxicating smell! Miracle! Children! Such a miracle! And on and on. There’s no end to our opportunities for fascination. (In fact, children can teach us this if we watch them carefully.)

Just the fact that we are all here, together. I mean. Just think about it. We are living and breathing and we are HERE on this amazing planet! We are alive, living in these bodies! What the!!? Seriously! This in itself is a totally mind boggling miracle.

If I can remember to think about this, the world pops out at me. When I look at the sky I see beautiful gentle clouds floating by, birds drifting on the wind, various beautiful hues. Some might call it gratitude or mindfulness, and our chances to dwell in it really are endless. We are here! Together! Learning and growing and living and breathing, one moment, and then the next. It's not always good, it's not always easy, but it is always miraculous.

Thanks for making it through my very first blog entry, I’m so glad you’re here! I hope that you’ll join the conversation below and come back for more!