Fifty Days of Gratitude: Day Nine

Today, all across North America, people are looking up in awe and wonder at four minutes of darkness in the middle of the day. Birds and animals and insects will cease their daytime activities and retreat into a nocturnal posture. The air cools.

Here in the PNW, we are out of celestial luck this time around. In August of 2017 we were lucky enough to witness a solar eclipse. I remember watching with my Beloved and being amazed.

This morning I saw Bill Nye, the Science Guy, explain the science behind a solar eclipse. I also heard a variety of Indigenous people talk about how their ancestors explained it, as a frog or squirrel eating the sun. As an occasion for being LOUD. As a time for joy.

And yes, I'm aware of the people who thought this was a sign of the end times or some sign of God's retribution, which I'm sure we deserve if for no other reason than we keep trying to second guess God's goodness with our own need for retaliation and revenge. Anyway, that's another post.

For this day, I'm thankful for those things that spark awe and wonder in us collectively. That cause us to gather and pause and celebrate and get loud with joy. That invite us to look up from our own selves, or our screens, or our fears, or our misconceptions or our judgements and remember that there is so much more.