Wonderment— by Sr. Mary Teresa laBrake, GNSH

Written on: August 1, 2022

The February Lafayette newsletter had an article by Sr. Mary Teresa laBrake entitled “Wonderment” – In it she looks over the shoulder of little children experiencing the thrill of nature’s variety.  As we delve deeply into Laudato Si’ and our connection to Earth, we might enjoy seeing through the eyes of a child.

Oh! The wonderment of little ones inspecting the fascinations of nature. Their eager little faces and sparkling eyes search the low places of Earth and discover creeping, crawling creatures. They gaze at these and, with fear still unknown, reach out to tenderly touch soft, furry, humpy backs of caterpillars. These wind their way into small, soft hands where they squirm and dangle from the wrists, hands and yes, the tips of the fingernails.

Then there are the hopping creatures who somehow find their way into a little boy’s hands and pockets. A slight movement! And peering eyes locate wee insects clinging to the underpart of leaves. Ladybugs, moths, inch worms, spiders-can there be more?

He glances upward and discovers the multi-colored butterfly lighting upon a leaf. In his haste to grasp it, he stumbles upon a torn, twisted branch and finds himself staring at the little brown and black creatures scurrying through the grass. It finds its nest while he struggles to his feet and toddles down a rustic path to the babbling brook below. The swiftly darting minnows are too fast for clumsy fingers and so he is content to prod the hard shelled turtle, in hopes that he may see his little head pop out once more. A gleeful giggle emerges but is abruptly stifled when a searching mother comes upon her escaped son.

“Please! Just this once may I keep him to take him home?” is the pitiable cry. Who can resist that cherub face bedecked with freckles and impish eyes as he asks to keep his friend?

This entry was posted in From our Sisters and tagged: babbling brook, branch, butterfly, caterpillars, cherub face, child, clumsy fingers, creeping crawling creatures, Earth, eyes, Faces, fascinations, freckles, friend, furry, giggle, gleeful, hands, hard shell turtle, hopping creatures, impish, inch worms, insects, ladybugs, Laudato Si!, leaf, little faces, minnows, mother, moths, nature, nest, pockets, soft, sparkling eyes, spiders, squirm, Wonderment