On moving forward through difficult times, part two: Walking Among Miracles

From Still Writing by Dani Shapiro:

"Too often, our capacity for awe is buried beneath layers of perfectly reasonable excuses. We feel we must protect ourselves -- from hurt, disappointment, insult, loss, grief -- like warriors girding for battle. A Sabbath prayer I have carried with me for more than half my life begins like this: 'Days pass and the years vanish and we walk sightless among miracles.'

"We cannot afford to walk sightless among miracles. Nor can we protect ourselves from suffering. [As writers] we do work that thrusts us into the pulsing heart of the world, whether or not we're in the mood, whether or not it's difficult or paintful or we'd prefer to avert our eyes.

"When I think of the wisest people I know, they share one defining trait: curiosity. They turn away from the minutiae of their lives -- and focus on the world around them. They are motivated by a desire to explore the unfamiliar. They enjoy surprise."

Words: The passage by Dani Shapiro is from Still Writing: The Perils & Pleasures of a Creative Life (Grove Press, 2014); the poem in the picture captions is from Sands of the Well by Denise Levertov (New Directions, 1996); all rights reserved by the authors. "On moving forward through difficult times," part one, is here.
Pictures: The back garden here at Bumblehill, Howard in the garden, and Tilly sniffing the air in a moment of rapture (on the porch of Howard's studio at the back of the garden).