Some would laugh, others shake their heads. Then he would begin to describe the inner life of the religious person. As civilization advances, the sense of wonder declines. Such decline is an alarming symptom of our state of mind. The beginning of our happiness lies in the understand that life without wonder is not worth living.
Jewish prayer is a spiritual discipline for regaining wonder each day.
Twice I have had cancer surgery. Twice I've been through chemotherapy. I remember the healing process. In those circumstances, the most mundane and common events become the most momentous gifts. And I prayed that no routine, no schedule, no hurried deadline, would erase the sweet victories of those moments.