A friend called me the other week with an unusual proposition.

“Do you want to see the incredible CHRISTMAS HOUSE in Logan Square?”

The way she spoke, I felt like I should have known the particular address she referred to, but I didn’t.

Being that the weather was unseasonably warm, it wasn’t hard to persuade me to check out this Yule ready dwelling and, apparently, local institution.

I was not ready for the kaleidoscope of colors or sheer mega-wattage of outdoor lights that spanned the house’s exterior walls, huge wrap-around porch and yard. Nor did I expect the house would be such a popular attraction in the neighborhood.

Young parents, from West Town to Albany Park, it seemed, descended on the great corner lot. They dragged their jacketed and hooded toddlers by the hand along the sidewalk or they balanced them on their shoulders so they could see over the crowd.

And everybody’s cell phone was out — in camera mode. Families and groups of friends posed at every spot along the fence. They wanted to capture an image of themselves standing in front of trumpeting angels or in front of the fabled reindeers; framed out in wood and wire, animated by hundreds of tiny white lights.

Everyone seemed to pace up and back retracing the same patch of real estate they had just walked. No one wanted to leave.

We were all in a state of wonder.

Of course, WONDER for the adult in me involved questions like How long did it take to get so many lights up? and How big is their electric bill?

Then I looked at some of the children at the scene who didn’t even want to shut their eyes long enough to blink. I caught myself amazed by the volume and variety of lights and iconic holiday images on display. I wouldn’t have thought it possible – that so many different things could work together — but it did.

And I sort of settled into this feeling as I checked out different parts of the decorations in more depth.

I watched mesmerized as a blue Ferris wheel turned on its axis. I smiled at the little Santa on the roof (easy to miss), and the icicle-shaped bulbs that swayed to the hip-hop style carols that blasted from hidden speakers charmed me.

Maybe that’s really what a state of WONDER is; seeing things or experiencing things that you never would have imagined. And once you’re in this place, having an experience beyond your imagination, you can fathom living your life as a continual series of amazing encounters.

I know that I am struck by synchronicities.   I love it when I get a phone call from someone I was just thinking about.

I love seeing signs of resilience, whether that takes the form of a tired athlete finding a second wind to rally or a plant that I think is toast showing signs of life after a sprinkling.

A selfless act or seemingly unmotivated act of kindness never ceases to amaze me. These things happen all the time.

A stranger may give their airline ticket on a sold-out flight to a stranger that really needs to get home quickly. After a blizzard, people, with no prior relationship, will stop on the street and help others dig their cars out.

It was hard to return to my car after losing myself in the colorful lights of this holiday themed house. There was so much to notice. So much thought and time went in to making an impression, but the actual elements of the CHRISTMAS HOUSE could be found at most Home Depot stores.

It’s our imaginations, and openness to appreciating someone else’s imagination and intentions, that elevates us.

Entering a state of wonder from holiday decorations is no small thing.