One of my favorite things about my evening walks in Weehawken (other than the view of NYC) is seeing fireflies dancing around the sidewalk and front yards. As a SoCal native, I had never seen fireflies in person so witnessing one a few weeks ago was quite the thrill. I was in awe with each blink of light.
Now, I have to say, fireflies are not all that pretty in their non-illuminated state. Some insect-phobic people like myself might call them strange looking, ugly even, and maybe a little scary. I truly don't enjoy when they fly up near me or my face. (It's the same way I felt about all the colorful dragonflies buzzing around in Florida, no matter how many times my husband assured me that they wouldn't bite or sting. I like bugs to keep their distance, pleaseandthankyou.)
However, fireflies are incredibly beautiful when they let their light shine. And they are even more stunning when strengthened by a community of their peers, their friends and family.
So, yes, they might just be weird little beetles with glowing lanterns on their tails—that's very scientific of me, right?—but they gave me a lot to think about during my evening walk last night and a few good reminders for us human folk:
Let your light shine. Don't dim your spark. Share your gifts.
And surround yourself with people who encourage that inner glow.
(Photographs by Tsuneaki Hiramatsu
via Smithsonian Magazine)
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