On Tuesday night, Glitterbug and I decided to head down to the Lake for a walk and to exercise the canine. We ended up at a completely empty ‘park’ with some tall grass, several trees and a wonderful water-filled ‘ravine’ dark featured along in the distance of the twilight blue haze of diminishing light. It was truly beautiful. No sooner had we gotten out of the car and begun our journey into the dusk when we began to see the occasional flicker of a lightening bug dance here and there. As we began to really take notice and comment with one another on the delightful little creatures, we were amazed to find that they were NOT ‘occasional’ at all, but in fact we had stumbled upon the most numerous assemblages of lightning bugs that I have ever witnessed. They were everywhere, these marvelous little twinkles of dancing light. It was magical, like some sort of personal Fairy Tale Realm that was just for us. The moment was truly enchanted and we drank it in and I was filled with the delightful sense of youth and innocence and the mystery and wonder of it all.

Then Wednesday came with a heart-sinking event followed by a rush of incredulity, confusion, pain and loss.

Later Wednesday evening when Glitterbug and I returned to that same park, it felt like some of the magic and innocence was gone and for a moment all I could do was stand in the dark, in Glitterbug’s arms and cry for what seemed lost, for what was lost, and for the losses that were sure to come again in the future. But after the tears subsided and the watery blur of glistening glowing splotches began to dry and I could once again focus on the dancing light patterns, dark outlined edges and twilight blue haze I began to remember the truth; that things would be okay.

There is still magic and mystery and innocence in the world. And as we allow it to wash over us, it heals us and fuses us with that greater inexplicable, eternal power.