Fireflies, Fear, & Freedom

Summer nights, when I was a kid, were filled with magic. Mainly so, because there wasn’t school, so that meant a later bedtime. It was light out waaaay after dinner, which meant a neighborhood kickball game until the street lights went on.

...And the grand finale of summer nights was the firefly show.

It always began the same way;

First a popsicle, then either a lawn chair or blanket, right in the center of our backyard, (because that was definitely the best seat in the house) and then watch and wait. 

Before long the show would begin, it would build slowly, a little glow on the left, then another, then three or four in unison in front of me and before long it was a captivating light show that seemed to fill our entire backyard with magic and wonder. There was no predicting its start, the duration, amount, or the beautiful light patterns that were created night after night. 

Anything seemed possible witnessing them, magic definitely seemed real. 

Inevitably, I’d want to capture the magic for myself, which led to jars, strategies and hunting them. The more, the better.  I generally caught some, and you know what. I almost immediately lost interest in them once they were trapped by me.  They seemed listless, the glow was definitely dimmed, the magic all but gone.

Years later as an adult, I wondered about fear and freedom, where magic is and where magic goes to die, both in our individual lives and in our relationships. I thought about the fireflies again, realizing that for me, what motivated me to capture the fireflies was fear. 

Fear of not having access to magic, fear of not understanding the beauty of freedom.

In acting from that fear, by trying to “capture the magic”, I actually robbed myself and them of the magic that is inherent in all of us when we are living in alignment with ourselves, our spirit, our purpose.  What they offered in their authenticity and what died when I tried to contain and control it is the magic. Witnessing that magic in their freedom could model for me the power of witnessing my own authenticity, which actually is the way to move beyond fearful reactions. 

It reminded me once again, of the wisdom in,

Let it come.

Let it be.

Let it go.

Within myself related to goals, interests, pursuits and in relationships with others.  Staying grounded in the magic of flow, whether something is arriving or leaving, is always where the magic is at.