Awesome
As the New Year turns, I find myself absorbed in moments of reflection. For some, it’s a time to resolve to exercise more, eat better, or give up bad habits. For others, it’s about seeking something deeper, more profound. Standing on the cusp of my 60th birthday this week, I’m struck by the wisdom that age brings—clarity about what matters and a more profound sense of intentionality. I’ve learned to say no to what doesn’t serve me and to lean into the things that fill my life with wonder and awe.
Awe, in its many forms, has the power to transform. It can be the view from a mountaintop you struggled to climb or the delicate beauty of a flower blooming defiantly in cracked earth. For me, awe has always been most alive beneath the waves. Diving is my connection to the sublime, a portal into a world that dwarfs me in its vastness and mystery.
In the ocean’s embrace, I drift among cathedral-like formations of coral and rock, ancient forms that stretch endlessly into the depths. Creatures glide silently at the edges of my vision, moving with a grace that feels untouched. In the weightless quiet of the sea, I am unbound and free yet profoundly aware of my smallness. It's in these moments that I feel most alive, most connected to the world around me.
The stillness below strips away the noise of the surface world, leaving me alone with the rhythm of my breath and the pull of the water. In that place, I’ve come to know myself—and to understand how fragile, fleeting, and precious life is.
When I rise back to the surface, the air tastes sweeter, the sun warmer. I am grateful for solid ground, yet a part of me always lingers in that alien world, humbled by its enormity and forever changed by its quiet truth.
This year, I resolve to seek awe in every moment and to live with reverence for the immensity of life and the privilege of witnessing it. My hope for you, dear reader, is that you will find your own moments of wonder—to feel that pull toward something greater, something worth protecting, in this beautiful, fragile world.
We continue, against all odds and with minimal access to suitable WIFI, to publish this newsletter from a small fishing town in Portugal. Please consider buying Robert an espresso for his efforts! Obragado!
While we are on the subject of “Awesome” here’s a fun read: THE BOOK OF AWESOME
Here’s Jill with Canadian Economist ( and fellow Ottawa Riverkeeper) Mark Carney. The world will be hearing a lot about Mr. Carney in coming months!
And…here is Mark Carney on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart earlier this week.
The little Portuguese town we are staying at turns into a Bogart and Bacall movie set after dark…
As things get weird, weirder, weirdest, please go out there and LOVE ONE ANOTHER!
Thanks Luca! I feel very fortunate and I feel very grateful to have met you too!
You have described so beautifully how I feel when I am underwater! I feel so privileged to have such a beautiful place as my refuge! As the world gets weirder and weirder, I intend to stay hopeful and not fall into despair by visiting the world under the waves as often as I can! That will give me the energy to do my part to stand up to crazy!
Happy Birthday Jill, may it be as amazing as you are! You and Robert are a bright light in the world and I am grateful for you!