Fireflies

So in honor of this being Father's Day "week", I'd like to share a fond memory that I have of my dad...

I remember standing out on our back balcony when I was younger, probably about 11 years old, with my dad and my sister. There was a clear sky and a full moon, and the moon was much bigger in the sky than normal. It was so bright against the midnight blue sky it was almost blinding. And it was beautiful.

“I want you girls to always remember this moment,” he said.

We agreed, and there was something inside of me that wondered if I would remember it. So many memories are constantly lost. I suppose if you tried to remember everything that happened in life, every meaningful moment, your mind might explode or fold into itself.

But I did remember it. Fifteen years later, I do still remember that moment. It made me want to purpose to remember more meaningful moments in life.

My sister recently drove to visit my husband and me in St. Joseph. The three of us went on a trail run while she was here at a trail that we had recently been frequenting. Although it still felt like you were running through a hot wet blanket, the trail was mostly covered by trees, a welcomed relief in the humid Midwest heat.

As we finished, it was dusk and we started heading back to our car. There was a grassy patch to the right of the path where the skinny trees were more sparse, and the ground kind of dipped down slightly, visually separating it from the trail. And in that patch, there were thousands of fireflies that seemed to come out of nowhere filling the entire area, their glow seeming to give out a much-needed warmth for our souls.

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I am not the type of person who gets overly excited about things. I’m not a naysayer, or a particularly negative person, it just takes a lot to get my jaw-dropped. But at that moment, my mental jaw dropped. I felt like a kid again, like the adult mud that had been covering my eyes was wiped off, allowing me to see beauty once again. 

It was like floating glitter, the shiniest glitter you’ve ever seen, like a scene from a real-life fairy tale. I’ve never seen anything so amazing. Nevermind that they’re bioluminescent insects whose butts glow. That’s a miracle in itself. But even taking that for granted, I was blown away. 

I stood there for several minutes, just staring at them in complete awe. I leaned over to my sister and asked her if she remembered what dad said when we were younger. She did. 

“Never forget this moment, ok?” I said to her.

She nodded in agreement. We stood there for another several minutes until the dusk thickened even more, then walked back to our car.

It's moments like these that make me want to purpose to remember more. That if had just latched onto more moments like these, then maybe I would've kept more of those precious memories. A good reminder to live well, and not easily take those significant moments for granted. 

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Dedicated to my dad, Jerry Pollock, who continues to work hard and make sacrifices for our family, while somehow continuing to create meaningful and memorable moments that are unforgettable. Thanks for all you've done and continue to do, Dad. Love you.