Two vivid memories from my childhood summers have never left me.
I remember being in the bungalow colony after a rainfall, rushing outside in search of the orange salamanders. The green ones were common, especially near the lake—but finding an orange one felt like discovering hidden treasure. I remember gently holding one in my hand. It was soft. Delicate. Beautiful.
And then there were the ladybugs—bright orange with their black dots. One would land on your hand, linger for a moment, and then suddenly spread its wings and fly away.
I often think about the sense of awe those moments awakened. Everything felt magical. Every discovery was an adventure.
Then I ask myself: What happened to that wonder?
I saw it in my own children when they were young. I see it now in my grandchildren. That same sparkle. That same fascination with the smallest things. Yet somewhere along the way, many of us lose it.
Do we simply become more realistic? Or do we become more hardened, more distracted, more jaded? Do we mistake losing our innocence for growing up?
This is far more than a sentimental question. It affects the quality of our entire lives.
When people say they’re bored, restless, searching for excitement, they’re often searching for something much deeper. They’re searching for what was once natural—the innocence, the purity, the sense that life itself was an unfolding miracle. Like untouched white snow before the first footprint. Like a world where every day held the promise of discovery.
Life certainly becomes more complex. We carry responsibilities, disappointments, and burdens. But the capacity for wonder was never meant to disappear.
And perhaps that’s one of the gifts of summer. It has a way of stirring those childhood memories and reminding us that beneath all the layers we’ve accumulated, there remains a part of us that never stopped longing for the infinite. It may be buried, but it is never lost.
Please join Rabbi Simon Jacobson and discover that the more we reconnect with that place of awe, the richer our lives become. Our relationships deepen. Our happiness becomes more lasting. And the ordinary begins to reveal the extraordinary once again.
