moment is map
may we listen, wonder, trust, and play where we are
As I softly and slowly stretch into 2026, I hear a voice:
Listen, listen, lissssssten.
I see a spiral.
Infinite points along its infinite spin.
Each point takes flight.
A sky filled with flying.
I see a child with a flower,
a squirrel with an acorn,
a turtle’s wide eyes,
two friends on a park bench,
a mother tying a shoe.
Listen, listen, lissssssten to the presence, the wonder, the play.
Each point is seed, is song, is span of wings.
Each moment spirals a flight of frequency.
Each moment makes a map.
We slow down to notice, lissssssten, and connect with the expanse of this—
beyond what we thought we knew of maps.
The map expands from how we live our moments now—
how we listen, wonder, trust, and play.
Remember, we aren’t theorizing change or whiteboarding a plan for the “future.”
That way won’t work anymore.
We need humble, nimble actions rooted in trust and awe and lisssssstening.
We create new ways of school…
through our practice of attention to how we engage with motivation and process. When we notice old threads of logic, we release them and choose differently.
We support children to know themselves as whole and free…
through our practice of listening without an agenda. We trust what children know already. We honor and learn from children.
We connect with our creativity (what we long to express, experience, and share)…
through our practice of play. No glimpse is too small or random. Anything we see and hear and feel is ready to play with us if we’re willing to not know the “outcome” and create anyway.
We nurture vibrant community…
through our practice of curiosity. We listen from the brain of our hearts. We sense and feel the wonder of the weaving of connection.
We unfold into the wholeness of ourselves…
through our practice of devotion. We are vessels—open and held in sacred boundaries. Our fire is tended slowly, humbly, over seasons. We allow who we are to breathe.
This year is a small and radiant moment—a tiny point of wings along the spiral of the universe.
This is a beautiful year to trust in the brilliance of each small choice, each small step, each small promise.
This is a beautiful year to attune to how we practice in our moments—how we sense, know, think, speak, connect, engage, share, learn, and listen.
May we listen, listen, lissssssten.
Our practice is rooted with wings.
slowly and softly, Melissa
Each moment makes a map.
The map expands from how we live our moments now—how we listen, wonder, trust, and play.
Weekly posts from Noticing Matters allow for deeper reflection, wonder, and everyday practice. They’re more personal and conversational. They offer more nuance and grounded practice. They often share questions, glimpses, and stories that I don’t share with a general public audience. I show up each week to write what feels honest and true in the moment, for the moment.
I welcome you to join this smaller, more personal, community within Noticing Matters.
Practice with me.
Let’s have a conversation about how we might work together to deepen and align your practices, and support the practices within the communities and organizations where you work.
