Eclipse 2017

When I think of the total solar eclipse, this is the image that I will always remember. The dark sky with white streams radiating from behind the moon. It truly was breathtaking, totally living up to the hype. I'm 100% positive that if I didn't live within the path of totality I would not have traveled for it. Now that I know just how awe-inspiring it is, I am far more likely to travel to see it the next time. Totally worth it.

We weren't sure what the roads were going to be like since we were being asked to prepare as if it were going to be a natural disaster, so Matthew worked from home on Eclipse day (Boy Howdy kept calling it an eclipment.) I'm so glad he did. It was a fun morning to spend together. For us, the moon started covering the sky just after 9am. 

The evening before we explained to the children that they needed to wear their eclipse glasses. They were very seriously warned that they might go blind if they didn't. 

Thankfully they took this advice to heart because they were very strict about putting them on anytime we checked on the moon's positioning from the very beginning. With a daughter that constantly takes off her 3-D glasses at a movie, I was very impressed with their diligence. Boy Howdy kept asking Cheeks if she wanted to go blind.

The first thing I noticed was just how yellowy dark it was getting. So eerie and surreal. At one point I told Boy Howdy that it was almost time for bed. "Aaah Mom!! Can't we just a few more minutes??!?" Poor boy. After a few minutes laughing at my own little joke, I reassured him that we had just barely had breakfast, he didn't have to go to bed anytime soon.

Within just a few seconds it went from dusk to complete darkness and the real show began. I was blown away. The neighborhood erupted in cheers. It was as though heaven were showing off in the most wondrous of ways. And then as soon as the sun peeked out just the tiniest of amounts we were once again bathed in morning sunshine. It was actually quite astonishing just how little sun is required to light the world. Such a lovely metaphor for the Christ as the Light of the World and letting our own light shine.

Thank you Heaven for putting on such a brilliant celestial show! Definitely the best of the my life to date!