In my lifetime I have memories of making cards for my mum, feeling sorrow on this day as pregnancy loss seemed to overwhelm, joy to hold the hand of my littles, overwhelm from the expressions of love from my grown ones, and feeling regret for what I’d done or undone as a mum.
It was Friday night past, though, when my three gifted my mother-heart, in a most deep and meaningful way … and they hadn’t an inkling.
Earlier in the evening I’d noticed posts from Eastern Canada of the gorgeous Northern Lights thanks to a rare, high level geometric storm. This fueled my desire to witness this natural phenomenon. So, after the sun had set, I ended up on our back deck, seeing the show of a lifetime just overhead, with hubby and our son, while taking SO many pictures.
As I stood with my son, looking up, I was transported to dark August nights, from years ago. My three and me in our backyard, sitting in lawn chairs, or lying on the ground, eyes to the heavens, waiting with anticipation for falling stars in the annual meteor shower. I remember smiling, ear to ear, in the dark, as my children were rapt in awe. The same awe and wonder that has fueled my life, given me hope and joy when life was challenging, hard, unpleasant.
I almost mentioned that memory to my aurora-seeking son but …
well,
what if he didn’t remember? what if that memory was mine alone?
No. I would just enjoy this moment of shared joy.
Then, he directed me to his phone, to the images sent on our family text group. Images of the same lights we were viewing. They were images from 40km NW, 50km NE … where my daughters were, also looking up to the sky, also rapt in wonder.
In that moment, I knew I had shared something good, something even eternal, with my kids. I had shared my sense of wonder to my littles,
who grabbed onto it, years ago, with grubby, chubby little fingers, eyes and toes,
and they are still rapt in awe of the creation all around them.
He who can no longer pause to wonder
and stand rapt in awe,
is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.”
Albert Einstein
itsawonderfilledlife 