Yesterday morning precisely at 4 a.m., my husband and I were suddenly jolted awake by several flashes of lightning in our darkened bedroom, followed by a tremendous BOOM that rattled all the little tchotchkes on my dresser. I thought it was the beginning of an earthquake; he thought it might be a terrorist bomb.
Thank heavens, we found out from the morning news that the cause of our "rude awakening" was neither an earthquake nor a bomb. In fact, a huge flash of lightning had struck a redwood tree on a neighboring street and split the tree trunk in half with a roar; windows in nearby houses and cars had also shattered.
This incident got me thinking about lightning and how quickly it strikes, and the eerie glow that lightning gives off during its brief appearance in a dark sky. That mental image segued directly to my fond memories of "lightning bugs," otherwise known as fireflies, magically lighting up the evening sky when I lived on the East Coast.
I have always loved fireflies, even as a child when I would catch them in little jars and be entertained by what I learned was their bioluminescence (the light flashing from their abdomens). Amazingly, each light is flashed in a pattern unique to a firefly's subspecies, and is a signal meant to help the firefly find a potential mate!
Here's an amusing video with Bette Midler in a light-up firefly costume, singing Glow, Little Glowworm with the mellow Mills Brothers:
How about if you and I imitate fireflies in one small way? No matter what's going on outside, let's make sure the glow of our spirit shines forth and illuminates our little corner of the world!
Linda Jay Geldens, www.LindaJayGeldens.com
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