The difference between the words—wander and wonder—is one letter. This thought pebble is rolling around in my mind as we embark on a new year and the opportunities it presents—most of which are wild unknowns at this time. Like the stones in my favorite childhood toy (a rock tumbler), whatever goes into the portal of 2024 will emerge in some way altered.

Wandering has a way of doing that, especially if approached with an open mind and heart. Open vessels have the capacity to be filled, sometimes with a sense of wonder. One seems to ignite the other.

As the poet, Mary Oliver writes in “Drifting”:

“I was enjoying everything: the rain, the path

wherever it was taking me, the earth roots 

beginning to stir.

It’s wonderful to walk along like that,

thought not the usual intention to reach an answer

but merely drifting.”

Later, Oliver asks of her “delicious walk in the rain,” “What was it actually about?”

Her beautifully vague answer invites further contemplation:

“Think about what it is that music is trying to say.

It was something like that.”

As we enter this new year, consider committing to occasional wonder wanders. Ignore the impulse to plan. Place one foot outside the door and let the other land where it will. Keep going until it’s over. Remain open to whatever might emerge, including an epiphany—”a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience” (Dictionary.com).

The Epiphany (a Christian festival celebrated on the 12th day after Christmas) will occur on January 6, a potentially perfect day for wandering and wondering. During these dark times, look for light. Seek opportunities to be light, to balance despair with hope as we find our way forward, one wander-ful step at a time.