Each year, I like to write about some theme from the year and this year has had some exceptional moments of wonder: a solar eclipse, the northern lights (twice!), and a comet not seen since the days of cavemen. These exceptional moments brought me back to my everyday wonders: a baby’s coo, my kids growing up, a friend’s long distance phone call, and our land buzzing with new life in the spring are just a few examples.
In 2023, my kids learned about the total solar eclipse that was going to happen, they got the special glasses from our local library and we were prepared and anticipating the morning of…and then our skies were so overcast, we didn’t see any of it. There were a lot of tears. Any parent knows the feeling of your child being disappointed and wanting to move mountains to fix it, but what could I do? I was helpless to clear away the clouds. Our special glasses got thrown in a drawer mostly forgotten…until this past spring they came home from school saying there would be an eclipse again! I didn’t want to get hopes up this time, so I tried to temper their excitement. The morning came and the sky was clear! We found our stuffed away glasses and stood as we watched the sun become a Pacman. “Mom, are you looking?” “Quick, get daddy” “Mom, look at it now!” I was looking, but to be honest, I was enjoying looking even more at my kids’ delight in the sun. The sun. It’s always there, isn’t it? Always sending us its warmth, its light, and yet, I almost never take a moment to appreciate its presence. I remembered the rare occasions when I have watched the dawn break over a hillside. One moment I am in complete darkness, and the next there is light pouring in and gently waking up my corner of the world. This gift is offered to me every day, yet most days I would rather lay in bed. Our deck has a gorgeous view of the sunset and, thankfully, I don’t take it for granted as I do other moments. Often, we will sit and watch the sun put on an incredible show for us, just before it disappears. It’s as if it’s saying to us, yes, the darkness is coming, but it’s not forever, so hold onto some extra beauty to get you through another dark night.
In May, my dad came over with news that it was extremely likely our area would be able to see the Northern Lights that night. My memories of the countless times I’d driven way out to some countryside in the middle of the night with the spark of hope that I’d see the northern lights came flooding back to me. It had been a long week, I was tired, I couldn’t stay up late and drive around somewhere tonight, I just couldn’t. Plus, I didn’t want to be disappointed again. That night, before going to bed, I went out to our deck. I looked up in the sky and saw some beautiful streaky-looking clouds, but no northern lights. I brushed my teeth etc. and thought I’d look just once more, just in case…those streaky clouds were a light red and purple! I woke up the kids, called my dad next door, yelled for Jed and we all stood on our deck looking up. All those times of searching and grasping for a glimpse of Aurora and, here she was, like a beautiful, unexpected gift, a gift that I hadn’t dared ask for…and that I almost didn’t recognize. I have often thought about Mother Nature’s beautiful gifts that she gives, whether or not they will be seen or appreciated: the Aurora borealis for instance, normally puts on her show in the least populated areas of our earth. How many shooting stars are missed because their light is so brief? How many wildflowers bloom where only creatures tread? She is so faithful to give these gifts regardless of how they are received.
In October, news of a comet that hasn’t been visible to earth for 80,000 years, reached my news feed. We looked several nights in a row and finally, just after sunset while it was still light out, saw its long tail. Once again, we stood on our deck marveling at such a tiny thing. As cool as it was, I found myself wondering, what’s so special about a faint speck of light with an even fainter line? Is the knowledge that it’s rare and special all it takes to make us stare and search for beauty? Or is it just the choice to stop and marvel at creation? What about the millions of bright stars that come out every single night? The sky that swirls with all kinds of shades of blue? Beauty is all around us, yet I think because it is all around us, we take it for granted. Ironically, it took me looking at a shaded, dim sun, an Aurora borealis that I nearly mistook for clouds, and a very faint speck of light to get me to marvel at the brighter wonders I pass by every day. I remembered hearing a quote that is something along the lines of, “the God who created the cosmos, delighted in creating you” and a warmth filled my soul.
One of my favorite parts of teaching my kids is all the read-alouds we get to share together. We read some great fantasy books this year and I was reminded of the quote by G.K. Chesterton, which I will leave you with. “Fairy tales say that apples were golden only to refresh the forgotten moment when we found that they were green. They make rivers run with wine only to make us remember, for one wild moment, that they run with water.”