Mystery

By Elle Dooley

There is a certain allure to the mysterious that piques our curiosity. If compelled strongly enough, we are drawn into unknown realms, set adrift from the comfort of what we understand. We ponder elusive truths. Sometimes we are confronted with events we can’t explain. We encounter something secret or hidden.

Between the ages of four and five, I was more present to mystery than at any other time in my life. I unlocked the mystery of letters on a page and the world exploded with new experiences via the written word. (That I can do this still knocks me sideways.) I went to school and spent hours away from home with strangers. I went to friends’ houses, played in their yards, and we hiked the nearby forest with sack lunches and Kool-Aid. I learned to toast bread, tie my shoes, and use a pair of scissors. I viscerally sensed the brilliant color of 64 Crayola crayons.

These experiences seem so commonplace but before I tried and traveled and learned, all of these were mysteries waiting to be unlocked. I honor my passage through the humble magic of childhood.

I remember looking up at a night sky filled with stars and being told the sky went on forever without end. I learned that time and God had always existed, with no beginning and no end. And I still remember the feeling of opening my tiny four year old heart and expanding my breath to encompass infinity. I don’t think my understanding of those mysteries has ever been more acute.

Some mysteries are solved or resolved. They may hold our attention for a while and then fade. Mysterious facts may become part of our common knowledge, or people part of our personal pantheon. Some mysteries remain so, interesting to ponder again and again.

Instead of attempting to explore what is a very wide field, I’ll leave you with some quotations. I invite you to journal whatever comes forward for you. I would love to see your reflections. I would love to know the mysteries that are most meaningful or memorable for you. xoxo

Mystery is at the heart of creativity. That, and surprise. Julia Cameron

I do not at all understand the mystery of grace - only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us. Anne Lamott

There is no greater mystery to me than that of light traveling through darkness. Alexander Volkov

Each time dawn appears, the mystery is there in its entirety. Rene Dumal

I'm aware of the mystery around us, so I write about coincidences, premonitions, emotions, dreams, the power of nature, magic. Isabel Allende

My childhood has never lost its mystery, and it has never lost its drama. Louise Bourgeois

Poetry helps me understand who I am. It helps me understand the world around me. But above all, what poetry has taught me is the fact that I need to embrace mystery in order to be completely human. Yusef Komunyakaa

Mystery is a resource, like coal or gold, and its preservation is a fine thing. Tim Cahill

We all need a bit of mystery in our lives, and rivers offer plenty of that. Jeremy Wade