Gossamer Checklist

The idea of gossamer and its sometimes ephemeral, shimmering pleasures seems awfully close to the concept of the “glimmer”—in the sense that author and licensed clinical social worker Deb Dana used it in her 2018 book The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy. There, she defined the glimmer as something of anti-trigger, a moment filled not with cues of danger but a spark of feeling safe and good, inviting you to stop and feel fully present in your life.

Here are some moments that might be categorized as glimmers, though the possibilities are quite literally endless:

• The sudden appearance of a dragonfly, its iridescent wings catching in the sun’s rays.
• A glittering stone or coin in your pathway, like some token left just for you. (Do you know what it means?)
• A lovely plant you pass by on your walk. Maybe it’s an unwieldy fern hanging from a window like Rapunzel’s hair, or ivy growing up a tree.
• The rich, comforting scent of baked goods, like zucchini bread or coffee cake or sweet potato pie, just like you loved as a child.
• The smell of the air and earth after a rainstorm, and the sudden, fleeting appearance of a rainbow overhead.
• The feel of a lovestruck cat seeking your affection, then purring under your palm.
• The unexpected pleasure of hearing your favorite song while running the occasional mundane errand, or catching the eye of a mischievous, smiling child. (Or changeling? One can never be too sure.)
• One must, in a gossamer-themed issue, extoll the pleasure of spying dewdrops on a spiderweb during an early morning walk.
• And then the hush of wings fluttering in the distance, as you turn to see what other creature was there beside you, dazzled by that same sight.
• And it’s almost always a good idea to remember that the world is full of enchantment, much as it tries sometimes to make us forget.