Light in the night...

It was a summer night in San Diego. Maybe 25 years ago. A group of us were on the beach and we noticed there was phosphorescence in the water. When the waves broke, we could see light in the water rushing towards us as the waves moved towards shore. The agitated water stirred up light. Again and again. It was beautiful.

We were enchanted. We soon figured out that there was also phosphorescence in the wet sand and if we jumped on it, pools of light would burst into the dark. I picked up a handful of wet sand…. that night, the mixture was pure magic. Light dripped from my hands and when I threw it, it lit up!

We all started picking up wet sand and throwing it. Laughing. In awe, amazed.

There was a couple walking on the beach that night and I ran towards them laughing.

“Look!” I said. “Look!”

They moved away from me. Who was this crazy, laughing woman coming at them?

“Look!” I threw the wet sand in front of their feet and they stopped. A string of light lit up. For an instant. It was glorious.

In the darkness, they each bent down and picked up a handful of wet sand and threw it. Light burst into the night. And they laughed, reached down and picked up more handfuls of wonder.

Right now in Arizona, we have a super-bloom going on. Following big rains, the desert is in full color. Yellows. Oranges. Purples. Pinks. The trees above me are full of flowers. The streets are full of flowers. When I walk our dog, we walk through one pile of colorful flower petals and then another.

And depending on the moment, I can see the flowers and the colors or I can’t.

I am that crazy, laughing woman with handfuls of wonder yelling to whomever might listen, “Look!”

I am also that couple walking on the beach in the dark.

Who knows what they were discussing, feeling, longing for… but right under their feet there was light waiting to be activated. Right beside them, in the depth of night, in the dark ocean, there were waves of light coming at them. Again and again and again.

Right now there are colorful flowers and petals all around me. Yesterday, I opened my front door and there on our doormat was a pile of hot pink bogainvillia flowers— the color of my mother’s lipstick.

My mom loved color. So did her mother. They both loved flowers. And they both could talk for a long time about flowers and colors. Both with a southern, sing-song lilt of love.

And I had to stop and feel my love for my mother, my grandmother, flowers, beautiful moments that take me by surprise. I opened my door and it was there, a gift of wonder.

Again and again and again.

Do I stop in take in the beauty of the pile of hot pink petals at my front door and the memories they stir? Or do I think I need to get the broom and sweep up the mess?

“Look!” I remind myself. “Look!”

Peace,

Kathleen

To hear MissyAnn’s song and watch her minute movie on YouTube, please click here.