by Karin Fisher-Golton

I’ve been noticing lately how amazing it is that writing–this set of lines and curves you see on your screen–is used to communicate so much.

Following a quick bit of research (accomplished via no more than twenty-six letters and a few punctuation helpers), I’m able to confirm my guess that writing was originally used for record keeping. It evolved into so much more. There are various alphabets and other types of written language systems. People can learn to read by feeling raised dots.

Whatever the system, so many of us have first learned the code, then slowly began to make out words, and at some point started to just read. We can connect with friends near and far, people we’ve never met, even people who have passed from this Earth but left words behind. Through written language we can give and receive education, entertainment, inspiration, laughter, tears, conflict, resolution, community.

Thank you, letters. Thank you, words. Thank you, human language abilities.

by Karin Fisher-Golton

For my second Amazing May post, I want to tell you about my “go to” amazing thing, and that is the simple and amazing ability to see colors. Really I could say that about an aspect of any of the five senses, but I’ll focus on seeing, and seeing colors in particular.

One day about fifteen years ago, I was feeling discouraged. One of those times I was so low, just picking up my feet and moving forward seemed daunting. Sitting with that, I glanced out my window and saw my neighbors’ bougainvillea–brilliant fuchsia, glowing in the sun. The beauty of that color went right in. It truly brightened my day. I got how amazing it is just to be able to see color.

Photo by Forest & Kim Starr

Many times since then when I’ve felt low, I’ve looked up, let my eyes land on a color, and let it sink in what an amazing thing that is. Sometimes I do it other times too. There are a lot of amazing colors out there.

Thank you, eyes. Thank you, bougainvillea. Thank you, color.

Do you have any colors that stand out to you? Do you have something else you notice with one of your senses that lifts your spirit?

by Karin Fisher-Golton

Welcome to My Amazing Day Blog!

In honor of all that is amazing around us, large and small, I am launching this blog with a month of a daily posts–each about something amazing. Happy Amazing May!

I’d love to hear from you and hope you will add your thoughts in the comments section below and/or let us know what you find amazing on any of these Amazing May days.

I’m going to start with my inspiration for the text of My Amazing Day–the quality of wonder in babies and toddlers. When Elizabeth and Lori asked me to join them in creating a book about gratitude for babies and toddlers, not only was I excited by the opportunity to work with those two talented women, but I loved the notion of gratitude for that audience because babies’ and toddlers’ quality of wonder is intertwined with gratitude for me.

When I feel gratitude, particularly for the simple, basic, and by that I mean stupendous, things in life, I often find myself tapped into very young people’s wonder. I’m talking about the way they might need to stop everything to stare at a snail because, wow, look at that spirally shelled slow thing and its wet head with two things waving on top. Or the way a parent can interrupt a growing upset by shaking a rattle and offering it. Hey! That makes a noise! I can hear all the clattery goodness and even better I can shake it and make that excellent noise myself! When I notice how amazing it is that I can see the color orange or feel soft cotton sheets or bite into an apple to find crunchy sweetness, and then feel gratitude, I experience those things as if they were new and surprising.

Thank you, babies and toddlers for inspiring us with your wonder and reminding us how amazing the world is.