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The Adventures of 'Onder

Sometimes just swapping out a letter in a word and replacing it with another can create a literary adventure…

Take the word “ponder”.  The meaning of ponder is to weigh in the mind, to think about, reflect upon.  Swap out the “P” and replace it with a “W” and you get “wonder”.  The meaning of wonder is a feeling of surprise mingled with admiration, caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar, or inexplicable.

The literary adventure can get even more intriguing when you combine the original word with the new word.  In this case, you ponder the wonder.  That is, you weigh in the mind, think about and reflect upon a feeling of surprise mingled with admiration, caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar or inexplicable!

Just in case you need something on which to ponder the wonder, I’ll give you some clues:

Prophesies made centuries earlier and fulfilled in every way;

A baby placed in a manger;

News of this baby first delivered to a bunch of shepherds;

A star guided some the wise men who traveled far to bring gifts to this child that were for a king.

Need a few more clues?

The incarnation;

A virgin birth;

The true light that came into the darkness.

One last swap of letters to continue this literary adventure:

Swap out the “W” and replace it with an “F” and you get “fonder”.  The meaning of fonder is having an affection or liking, to prize highly.

As you ponder the wonder, may you grow even fonder, in every sense of the word, of the miracle of Christmas!

 

 

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