Lightning Bugs

“The difference between the right word and almost the right word is the difference between Lightning and the lightning bug.” -Mark Twain

4th of July. Letting the kids stay up late. Sparklers. Lightning bugs. I grew up calling them lightning bugs so they will forever be lightning bugs to me. Drawing hearts in the air with sparklers thinking of Danay. Telling the kids a 4th of July themed Squirrel City in their beds in the dark at 9:30 which, thankfully, is super late for them. Feeling peaceful after a plate shifting few days/weeks. A line from an old poem of mine comes to mind: “plate tectonics, phonics in the language of love.” Things are coming together and shifting and rising up to be healed. And right now, I’m ready for bed with the lingering peace of the rhythmic lightning bugs in my heart guiding me to sleep.