About three weeks ago at nightfall, I came out of a restaurant that was across the street from a wooded area; and there, in all their glory were hundreds of fireflies! What a sight to see! The woods were aglow with organic sparkle. I just stood there for a moment taking it all in. I was amazed that everyone didn’t pull over, turn off their headlights and engines, and marvel at the silent dance of the fireflies.
I discovered a few years ago that the firefly’s light is it’s mating call. It’s just nature following her course, but it always gives me pause and brings a smile to my face.
A friend of mine in Europe says that they don’t have fireflies in his part of the world. He’s never seen one! Can you imagine that? I found myself trying to describe their lyrical light display to him, but I don’t think I did it justice. A person just has to be there, you know what I mean?
When I was a little girl, we used to call them ‘lightning bugs’. All the kids were in awe of the glow bugs, and we would stop whatever we were doing to watch the tiny creatures at play as our youthful day was coming to a close.
I miss those days when people were more connected with nature and knew instinctively to give pause and take in nature’s awesome magic. Communing with nature is one of the ways that I maintain ‘true toughness’. Nature soothes and fortifies me against stress so I don’t wind up surrendering my good judgment to alcohol, drugs, or some other self-defeating choice. Taking pause from the man-made world helps me to keep my mind, body, and spirit balanced, and it helps me to keep my good mood intact.
I hope you get a chance to enjoy the simple pleasure of watching the fireflies with a friend on a warm summer’s night, before the dance is over.
True Toughness 