730 BELLS: Immanent Fingers

Every day here on the Nisqually River is new, my eyes are fresh, looking at everything with wonder. Like this red maple along the Nisqually River. The new leaves have five fingers, like a human hand. The ruffled edges so exquisite, so elegant.

Then I notice the older leaves have seven fingers—two, small extra ones, like little wings, sprouting near the stem. I smile, thinking how my father always told us that one day wings would grow from our shoulder blades nubbins. 

I wonder about human potential. Wonder if our hands, too, can grow extra fingers, invisible fingers that sense and wing us into the immanent world around us in ways our visible fingers can’t. I wonder how to grow these extra fingers. 

Keep looking. Keep ringing.

7:30 BELLS Posts run every Tuesday.

7:30 BELLS Guest Posts run on the second Tuesdays of every month. Join me on May 12 for a guest post with children's author and legendary children's book editor Margery Cuyler.