7 Wonders in my World

Barrie Richardson who lives in the UK and a sometime (not often enough) tenant on our Lazy Boy in the lounge, sent a rather beautiful story to Ian, which of course was sent on to me. It says the following: 

A group of students were asked to list what they though were the present "Seven Wonders of the World". Though there were some disagreements, the following received the most votes:

1. Egypt's Great Pyramids
2. Taj Mahal
3. Grand Canyon
4. Panama Canal
5. Empire State Building
6. St. Peter's Basilica
7. China's Great Wall

While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one student had not finished her paper yet. So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The girl replied, "Yes, a little. I could'nt quite make up my mind because there were so many."

The teacher said, "Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help." The girl hesitated, then read, "I think the 'Seven Wonders of the World' are:

1. To See
2. To Hear
3. To Touch
4. To Taste
5. To Feel
6. To Laugh
7. To Love

The room was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. The things we overlook as simple and ordinary and that we take for granted are truly wondrous. A gentle reminder - that the most precious things in life cannot be built by hand or bought by man.

Author Unknown

When I read it, I admit to being touched by the simplicity of the words with their accompanying photographs. They immediately triggered wonderful memories of specific instances and I could not help but wonder, how many people do take their abilities for granted?

The next in my train of thought brought me to a wonderful warm and fuzzy place as I literally scrolled through a list of my favourite things ....

TO SEE:

I love nature in general, but at the moment, judging from news around the world, Mother Nature seems to be having a really bad case of PMS. She is throwing floods and droughts, tornadoes,  typhoons, earthquakes, and all kinds of other disasters (her version of 'toys'?) at whichever country is in her way. But when she is not so pissed at the world, she produces the most magnificent sunsets; extraordinary landscapes; beautiful animals and breathtaking views all found right outside the front door - if you are lucky enough to live in Africa. And even better - live in the Highveld and experience one of our magnificently terrifying electrical thunderstorms!; the steenbokkie in our garden just before dawn; the rolling hills of Inish Bofin, an island in Galway Bay that turned out to be so much more beautiful than I ever imagined


TO HEAR:
Music - from the gentle Piano Man by Billy Joel to the thundering crescendo of Nessum Durma; the cry of a fish eagle as it swoops down to catch its prey; the roar of a lion at sunrise to announce to the world that it is king; my son's voice saying  "oh mummmmeee" (even though I know he wants something); rain, which means I can stop worrying about veld fires; the 'potato potato' of a Harley Davidson; and the growl of a V8 Supercar (a red one always seems to just sound better!!); the jackal calling in the middle of the night

TO TOUCH:
The face of my love; the hand of a friend; the nose of your grandaughter, because it has the cutest tilt; everything in the whites section of a department store (because it is just one of those things that we women DO); the shoulder of someone having a bad hair day; flowers in bloom;  the perfect grout mixture; falling snow for the first time in my life; new buds on the trees that announces the imminent arrival of spring; different kinds of tiles and textures while planning a new mosaic and the very icy cold nose of Jesse (our 8-month old Weimeraner) at 4am in the morning as she considers it a suitable wake-up call to stick her nose in my ear


TO TASTE:

First coffee in the morning; Blue Cheese and whole figs; Breakfast (any time of day), mangoes; Vera Giovitto's Italian bread dipped in Olive Oil; Marion's Nasi Goreng and peanut sauce (not eaten together); Turducken at Christmas (and the whole week after); seafood; Anne Lynch's fruit cake; cheese and chutney sarmies; flapjacks with homemade strawberry jam; gammon and apple jelly; Moira MacMurray's homemade Plum jam (absolutely best on toast); any food cooked on an open fire; Luiza Glennin's curry.(Ummm let's be honest here - I DO like tasting lots of goodies and it shows*lol*)

TO FEEL:
Cold and shivery after a shower and climbing into a toasty bed in winter; cool water on bare skin while skinny dipping in summer; anxious and scared while watching a horror or disaster movie; annoyed with the people on my favourite soapies cause they are sooooo stupid; the surface of a newly cleaned and polished mosaic, straight after it has been grouted; Ian's hand on my hair as he walks past; driving an imported V8 TransAm up the hill from Nelspruit to White River and the surge of power when you put your foot down

TO LAUGH:
At the antics of the worst-dressed presenters on Top Gear; at Riley, our "daddy" chihuahua who carries a hoof almost the size of his head around as if he has won first prize; at Ian being goofy (he of course denies this); at mostly myself and the oddest situations I get myself into; at my friend who did not obey the instructions of the Epi-Lady when it clearly stated that it is not to be used on a bikini line; at life, love and the universe .....

TO LOVE:

My son and his family, Ian and his family, friends - old ones and new ones who bring amazing joy into our lives; our dogs and cats, with all their quirks and foibles; the sight of the moon coming up over the power lines; saying "Good Morning" to Ian when he looks like the wild man of Borneo with hair standing in 30 different directions; life on the farm; driving down the highway with the Chris Rea CD turned up full blast and having a concert of one slightly older (and greyer), sometime out of tune, back-up singer

If for whatever reason I forget these beautiful and wonderful snippets, or  when old age caused memories to fade to such an extent that I am no longer able to experience or recall the startling clarity of these events - perhaps you would be so kind as to read them to me ....... better still, share some of your own  ..... we could remind each other.