I put on my special glasses and went outside to join the others. We looked like we had all shopped at the same place. The solar eclipse was certainly not a disappointment though we were just south of the path of totality. I was glad so many people stopped, even if just for a few minutes, to witness such an amazing event, and to most, a once in a lifetime opportunity.
The total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 was dubbed the “Great American Eclipse” because the totality was visible within a band that stretched across the contiguous United States from the Pacific to Atlantic coasts. No solar eclipse had been seen from coast to coast since 1918. In January of 1880, a total solar eclipse occurred exclusively over the continental US.
To me, it was no ordinary happening. In the middle of it all, I had various thoughts to process. One was the brevity of life. Another was that we often let our priorities get overshadowed by things that really don’t matter. I also thought of those bumps in the road – those events that pop into our lives and darken our world for a time. We have all faced dark seasons of life, yet we go forward and once again step into the light.
Though the eclipse prompted my thoughts that day, it was not the main reason I reflected on those darker times in life. There was another memory that stood foremost on that day. It was the anniversary of my mother’s death. It seemed unreal that she had been gone for 11 years. There were times, and still are, when I thought, “I’ll go ask Mama.” My memories of her were just a small tribute to the woman who sacrificed much to move across the country to a completely different climate and culture, divided her time with husband and 6 kids, managed a household, made our clothes, canned our food, baked our bread, dealt with church folks, took in sewing, opened her home to 30 foster babies in a 6 year time period (give or take a few), moved various times and the list goes on….
Yes, there was a time of darkness at her death and yes, we moved back into the light – the light of thankfulness that is full of memories of who she was to all of us.
eclipse photo taken with my cell phone