After a cold and dry spring the warm and dry weather arrived. Trees and herbs seemed to be waiting for life giving water. At last it came and suddenly my whole world turned into countless nuances of green. The flowers bowed their heads as if in gratitude. Drops of water covered the petals like transparent pearls. The fragrance needs a poet to do justice… When I looked at one of our wild tulips in the garden I started thinking about how they felt the rain. The tactile sense of plants must be very developed in plants since they have limitations in the other senses. But the thought remained in my mind, how such a pleasure silent rain must be for a flower, like balm on a dry hand and perhaps also like water for a dry throat. How little we know about the nature that surrounds us.

I wonder if animals can feel wonder? Research on the self-consciousness of animals presents new fascinating discoveries every year on the issue. But can they recognise that they are created and observe their surrounding with awe? Some people are afraid of the question, but I see no need to be afraid over this question. When I look at my dogs, I think sometimes that they are observing and reflecting over what they see in the same manner as I do, but at the same time they seem to be part of nature in such a way that I feel like an outsider watching the trees and fields, flowers and birds. However, I think they sense in some way that they are caused; how I don’t know, but it is fun to speculate.

The birds of spring are here, beauty on the verge of pain. The privilege of living in and of nature have made me a little more part of nature than observer, I have noticed. As if the closeness to both flora and fauna have created a stronger sense of having the same source as the animals and plants. But the question remains if and how much they sense awe.

On an evening walk today I observed a blackbird singing on the top of a fir. I stopped and listened with both joy and peace to the melodious song. Between the parts of his song he bent his head, listened and looked around. Did he experience the beautiful view while listening and did he feel joy? I really hope he did.

The capacity to wonder has always followed and fascinated me. It is as Joseph Pieper says in his book Leisure the Basis of Culture, that wonder is the recognition of not being the cause of the beauty, a sort of bewilderment mingled with joy and surprise. For me my animals and the nature I encounter always fill me with this sort fascination and gratitude to the one who caused it.