It’s amazing how uninspiring a day spent at school can be, especially when it’s sunny outdoors. Don’t get me wrong!—I love school; I love learning; and I love reading. Yesterday, learning didn’t inspire me like it usually does. I got home from the library around 6:30-7:00 p.m. and decided to take a cool shower (a full day of muggy classrooms and shared workspaces always makes me feel dirty) before calling some of my girlfriends up. I asked if they wanted to go for lattes. Fortunately, they said yes. In an act of spontaneity, we drove past our usual coffee spot, and instead stopped at a small, independent café tucked between Chinese Heaven and Sir Pizza. We sipped our lattes, laughed, and talked about things that you can only talk about with your closest girlfriends. We shared our weird and disturbing dreams, our recent “man encounters,” and our favorite Facebook quizzes.
Closing time came around and none of us wanted the night to end, so we left the café and went for a drive. Now, Lansing is not so vast that it takes a long time to get into “country” territory, but we drove about an hour out anyway, just far enough that we couldn’t see the pink lights of the city. We found a narrow, dirt road and pulled over. I dug out my spare blanket that I keep in the trunk of my car (just for such occasions), and spread it across the dirty road. Then, the three of us sprawled out and looked up at a glorious celestial display. It was fantastic! The stars were so bright, and they speckled the blue-black sky with little furies of light. My friend and I saw a shooting star!—her first. At one point, I sat up and looked behind us. When I did, my breath caught in my chest. There must have been hundreds, if not thousands, of fireflies that sparkled across the road and field. They danced and twinkled, while bullfrogs and crickets sang in the background. Nature was showing off, and I briefly wondered if it was a special performance just for us. It was truly a magical moment.
The night ended, and as I drove back home I was reminded of a few things. First, that life’s best moments are shared. Second, that, just as each season is unique and has its own marvels, seasons in our lives are also unique and should be appreciated for what they are. Wonders can be found in each one. I hope you can see them.
