As I journey through each day, I happen upon things. Sometimes I stumble across them. Other times I am searching. But they are discoveries, no less. And some of them are incredibly remarkable. Amazing.

It could be as simple as realizing how to fit the gas cap on the leaf blower, just right, without a struggle. OR it could be something as monumental as finding out that there are 62,000 miles of blood vessels in the human body… and if you laid end to end they would circle the earth 2.5 times

Some people would call these “items” commonplace. But some of us call them extraordinary, fortuitous, phenomenal, or even miraculous.

Phenomenon. Wonder. Miracle.

All of these run along the same line in meaning. As described in the dictionary….. they mostly go like this. A fact or situation that is observed to exist, especially one whose cause or explanation is in question.
OR….a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be highly improbable.

Unexpected. Improbable. Neato.

If only I could recognize these “miracles” each and every day. Sometimes, I let them go unnoticed.

Yet.
Other times…. they fill me. They overwhelm me with joy.

Such a thing happened today. I seem to identify them more easily when it is a “first” in my life. Something I have never seen or done before.

Today, I saw my first Pileated Woodpecker. Up close and personal… in the flesh. In the feathers.

I gasped. I watched. And then I grabbed a camera.

Now some may think this is nothing. But to me, it is a wonder of this world. Like white puffy clouds, or ice crystal patterns spreading on glass, or tree roots which breach the ground to remind you they are there.

This Pileated was a beautifully large bird, with a crown of red. He had such purpose. He had great awareness. He had a beautiful coat of shiny feathers. Not to mention a really big pecker.

Honestly, I watched him work on a suet cake for a very long time. It made me happy…. for some reason. It made me happy…. for no reason at all.

Yes, I think life is full of miracles. Large and small. No matter what you call them, or who or what you may think is responsible for them…. they happen.

I am most grateful for miracles. And red headed birds.

He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.  –  Albert Einstein

When you make the finding yourself – even if you’re the last person on Earth to see the light – you’ll never forget it.  –  Carl Sagan