Thursday 4 September 2014

Fireflies

We began to walk toward the beach at around 6:45pm, there was a slight breeze, it was warm against my skin and felt quite comforting - there is something about that nighttime summer breeze that has always filled me with peace, and this night was no exception.

The walk to the beach wasn't long, it probably took us about 10 minutes to arrive, but as we approached the ocean, the sun began to set. Slowly, it was getting darker, and, to my absolute astonishment small flickers of light started appearing at the waters edge.

Tears swelling in my eyes, I looked at Emily and back at the ocean. You would expect everyone burst into chatter in absolute surprise, but what happened was much opposite - everyone became silent and slowly walked toward the light. The flickers turned out to be hundreds of fireflies, a rare sight on a beach, as they generally navigate toward lakes and rivers, but nonetheless, it was one of the most beautiful things I have ever witnessed.

Imagine a beach, small and secluded, the waves calmly swallowing the sand as though it were it's only job, and hundreds of beautiful, soft flickering lights. Imagine your friends all filled with the same joy as you, imagine being at peace with a moment - that was that night.

It's hard to describe how you feel in those moments of absolute awareness, nothing mattered at that time, I was filled with warmth and comfort as we walked through the flies into the water. We had all dealt with so much pain throughout our lives, but this one night of purity reminded every single one of us that live can be truly beautiful if you seek out the simple pleasures.

I'm not trying to give this story a happy ending, but I'm trying to tell you to hold on, for god's sake, hold on - because those moments do happen and they are so worth it.