Everyday Miracles

One of my favorite Walt Whitman poems is called "Miracles." I thought about it when listening to an On Being interview a few weeks ago. I believe Krista Tippet was interviewing the poet Naomi Shahib Nye. Nye talked about everyday miracles at some point. I have been thinking about this off and on since then. This is Whitman's poem: 

Miracles

Why, who makes much of a miracle?
As to me I know of nothing else but miracles,
Whether I walk the streets of Manhattan,
Or dart my sight over the roofs of houses toward the sky,
Or wade with naked feet along the beach just in the edge of the
        water,
Or stand under trees in the woods,
Or talk by day with any one I love, or sleep in the bed at night
        with any one I love,
Or sit at table at dinner with the rest,
Or look at strangers opposite me riding in the car,
Or watch honey-bees busy around the hive of a summer
       forenoon,
Or animals feeding in the fields,
Or birds, or the wonderfulness of insects in the air
Or the wonderfulness of the sundown, or of stars shinning so
        quiet and bright,
Or the exquisite delicate thin curve of the new moon in spring;
These with the rest, one and all, are to me miracles, 
The whole referring, yet each distinct and in its place.

To me every hour of the light and dark is a miracle,
Every square yard of the surface of the earth is spread with the
        same,
Every foot of the interior swarms with the same.

To me the sea is a continual miracle,
The fishes that swim--the rocks--the motion of the waves--the
       ships with men in them,
What stranger miracles are there?

My goodness. According to Whitman miracles are with us everyday, everywhere. I believe that he was correct about this. And, I think miracles exist in things and times that people don't think of as miracles. Think about all the technology that surrounds us. I think it is a miracle that I can sit at my desk in Vermont typing this, post it on social media and have it read around the world. 

I know that people gripe about the current flying experience: the security lines, the sometimes delays, the lack of food or not great airplane food. Yet, with all that I still think its a miracle that I can fly overseas or across country. It's a miracle to me that this travel doesn't take days or weeks, or maybe even months. 

Every breath I take is a miracle because I can breathe on my own. It's a miracle that I have glasses that correct for my  vision so that I can read a book, watch a film. And, well I find the fact that books can be printed a miracle. I could probably go on for quite some time about what the miracles are around me.

I suppose Whitman is asking that we shift perspective to see all that's wonderful around us. 



[The first photograph is by Simon Matzinger and was found on unsplash.com. The second image is from my book, Opening the Heart: Meditations on How to Be (here). I can help you on your journey through either Channeled Angel Readings or Life Coaching sessions. (here)]