Lighting Bugs

You know how there are things from your childhood that you just took for granted and assumed that every kid had. You couldn't imagine that they weren't a part of every kids summer evening playtime?

Lighting Bugs...

That first night as I sat out on the deck drinking and  letting the gigantic hamburger that I had eaten digest (Cause who doesn't need to eat pounds and pounds of meat when living in the woods) something magical caught my eye. Could it be? Had I just seen that? I waited patiently my heart starting to thump. Yes! There it was again. My heart was racing now. And Another And Another..

I reached out and touched the Dr's hand and pointed and whispered. "Lighting Bugs." He smiled that special I know what your thinking smile. Our hosts heard me and kind of looked at me funny. "Yes, give it a few minutes and they'll be all over that mossy area over there."  I asked for a jar. They figured something out. (Punctured Gladware)

Next I quietly walked in to where our children where quietly watching TV exhausted from their first day in the woods. They had no idea they had one more adventure waiting for them.

Our children had never seen a lighting bug. We live in the suburbs. Too close to civilization for such woodsy miracles.

I calmly asked them come with me. They protested, they were tired. "Trust Mama," I said. My girls by now know that is code for something really cool, they quickly complied.

I took them out of the deck and told them to watch the woods. "What is it?" they whined. "I don't see anything," they complained.

Then there it was the first flash.

Silence.

Then another

"Mama?"

Another

"What was that?"

"Lighting Bugs. Want to catch some?"

"Really?!?!"

And then came one of those times that are the very best part of parenting. One of those times when you get to take your child on a magical adventure that opens their eyes to the wonders that surround them. That makes them so happy they can't stop laughing. One of those moments of childhood that is so completely wrapped in joy and excitement and wonder that it makes you want to cry because its so perfect.

Because Mama and Daddy can catch lighting and put it in a piece of disposable plastic jar. And then show you how to do it. And in that moment you love each other so badly it almost hurts.

 

The next day we went to Wal-Mart and bought them proper Mason Jars and they put lighting in a jar every night for a week.