Life is full of “hidden wonders.” I didn’t realize that until I was old enough to appreciate the little things in life and cherish everything life has granted me.
I recently discovered a “hidden wonder” over fall break when my friend Jared and I were driving to Peek’n Peak for a brunch with his family on Sunday.
We started driving through a rural county – which is completely different for suburban kids, like us – and the scenes were captivating.
We both had that moment when our memory focuses on the scenery and everything else gets quiet and as you blink, that’s you taking your own photograph to keep forever in your mind.
It was earlier in the day – about 10:45 a.m. – so the sun was warm and at its highest. There were worn down barns with chipped paint, beautiful houses with long wooden porches – some had rocking chairs, others had swings – fenced in cows and most importantly, there were hills that went on for days.
I can’t even remember the name of the area we were at, but that’s OK because that memory I have of that “hidden wonder” is forever with me.
To me, a “hidden wonder” is something that you can always remember – not just a simple memory, but one that feels like it just happened yesterday.
You can either smell the candle that was burning at the very moment, or feel that snowflake that fell on your noise.
For me, that moment was the warm sun beating on my chest.
When I heard “hidden wonder” for the first time, I instantly thought of the Seven Wonders of the World, because the title – “hidden wonder” – seems like it should be something beautiful and foreign, and it could be.
If you get the opportunity to go visit Chichen Itza in Mexico, like I did, then of course that could be your “hidden wonder.”
To me, the two best parts about a “hidden wonder” is that I don’t experience it often, maybe once a year or every few years, and I don’t expect for it to happen. But when it happens, everything becomes silent.
When you have so many memories, you tend to forget which ones were special.
Today, we have so many possible ways to save our memories, such as pictures. Pictures generally get preserved in old boxes that get tossed in our attics or the darkest corner of the garage.
It’s nice when you can experience a moment that you’ll always remember with a loved one – whether that’s a friend, a significant other or a family member – and not have to take a photo to remember it because it’s saved into your photographic memory.
Moments like that, such as the scene Jared and I saw, are one of the reasons why I go out and do as much as I can because you never know when if you’ll have a moment like that again.
Remember, it’s the little things.
COLLEEN LANGHAM
