On those late nights when my husband gets to come home after a long day, I’d usually greet him with the same sleepy words: “Oh please dear could we go outside and see the darkness?” Of course, by that time I’m already in bed and typically talking in my sleep. Hence, we usually end up postponing our little night outing to another day. Tomorrow… we’ll do it tomorrow.
To tell you the truth, I’ve been wanting to do this since that first day we moved to our little cottage and later that night went out for a late dinner. Coming back home to the darkest of dark night was a truly magical experience… you see, city lights don’t reach our out-of-limits neighborhood, but I didn’t know that back then, and this only came to me as an unexpected and beautiful surprise… when all of a sudden we were enveloped by the most wonderful and peaceful and magical darkness you can ever imagine… it was like walking on some enchanted holly ground. And thus, I’ve been wanting to repeat the experience ever since that night…
Last night, however… it finally happened. A miracle. A little taste of Wonderland... and a once upon a time in a fairytale and magical lights and fairies pervading the night air with songs and itty bitty little magical lights all in one place…
We had been out all day at a nearby city and by the time we got home, night had already fallen upon the privet. Anticipation, excitement… the joy, the scope for imagination. Can you see me… oh can you feel it too?
Singing in my spirit I hurridly walked out the car; smelling the night air; inhaling the aroma of darkness, walking on shadowy clouds made of stars and mysterious nocturnal sounds…
Something moved... something crossed the path somewhere in the dark and scurried away…
And over there… over where the darkness enveloped the privet, the stars… Ah yes some of the stars of heaven had fallen down onto my little piece of earth…. or was it more the night fairies playing games atop the canopy of trees, and branches out in the privet?
Shining... twinkling here and there intermittently…
Imbuing the darkness with jewels of light
and allure and
magic
and the most splendid thing I had ever seen…
We stood there… silently holding hands. And watched in awe…
The night fireflies.
Oh what a treat. I was telling my husband that it has been awhile since we have seen fireflies.I miss that summer joy... To me it harkens to times gone by... innocence and childhood summer.
ReplyDeleteInnocence and childhood summers and all the pleasures of living in the country, and throwing your dreams into space like a kite, and the hedgerows and the gardens, the riot of birds, and trees, and wildflowers, and the peaceful homeliness of a little white cottage… I’m loving it all ;)
DeleteCielo
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Oh, what beauty...little bits of joy!
ReplyDeleteIndeed.
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Cielo
Oh Cielo, I can't tell you what memories your story evokes and the pictures of you and your sweet husband standing hand in hand, in the darkness is the sweetest picture. It could be a scene taken straight from the movie, Notebook, when Noah and Allie first met.
ReplyDeleteFireflies remind me of my grandparents farm in Illinois. Every summer we would drive there for vacation. They had an apple orchard next to the house and I can remember dressing up in an old lace dress fond in the attic and walking in that orchard at night surrounded by fireflies. I felt like a fairy pricncess. The feel of the night and the smells of the farm come rushing back. The last trip I took with my father before he died was back to Illinois to visit relatives and I saw the fireflies then. It was like going back to my childhood and the smile on my father's face at my delight was something I will hold in my heart forever.
Thanks so much for bringing this memory back.
Sherry
Sherry... you touched my heart with your story... how sweet and sincere... and so many memories. Thank you for sharing bits of your life with me...
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Cielo
I've lived in a bit of a Fairy Tale world all of my life..I guess more than a "bit" and you are the first that I've seen here with me. I hope I never have to leave it entirely..though life has now and then pulled me away. I always return.
ReplyDeleteI remember my late husband used to say that he felt he was living in a story book world. I was never certain if he minded that or not as he was a soldier (Marine) for 20 of the years we were married. So..in essence, we were miles apart where our souls lived.
I think he followed me there..sometimes as we played like two children at times. I miss him terribly.
I am so glad you visited me...thank you. I shall return.
Love,
Mona
Oh Mona I'm so glad to have found you... I don't even know exactly how I happened to discovered you and your lovely home, but I'm glad I did. You're a special soul and I hope you do come back...
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Cielo
Fireflies are magical, truly magical, if anyone could imagine something that flies and twinkles, literally lights up in the nights enchanting darkness, they would know magic is real. I will never forget when I saw them by the hundreds, lighting up a winding magical path up the mountain to a friends weekend retreat...we stopped the car, turned it off, to have quiet and no lights....and we watched them just like you and your hubby. I had to tear myself away from them, lest my desire to fly and light up with them would break my heart. I have searched for them every night since. Here we dont have them but I still call them.
ReplyDeleteSuch beautiful imagery.... thank you for making me dream...
DeleteCielo