The Moon and the Stars

As I have mentioned before, one of the best things about parenting is that it gives me the opportunity to re-discover the wonder of the world through my child’s eyes. Things that I have taken for granted for years upon years now suddenly have become fascinating again, as my daughter realizes and discovers them for the first time.

For the past three nights, pre-bedtime, Emmy has asked us if she can go outside to see the moon and the stars. She has become super excited about walking around in the dark,  searching the sky for that glowing orb of light. So after bath time, with her hair towel-dried and dressed in her footed pajamas, C and I take Emmy out into our yard, and we stand together and gaze at the night sky.  Em asks for big family hugs, and we huddle together and move in teeny steps, as a unit, admiring all the twinkling above us.  

Of course, mother nature hasn’t totally cooperated – it seems the moon is currently nearing its new moon phase, and therefore (as we discovered by googling moon phases) we cannot see the moon in our night sky. But despite the moonlessness, the moments have still been unbelievable – breathing in the fresh air of the evening, listening to the crickets sing their songs, feeling the wet grass between our toes…

Last night the stars were quite bright and brilliant, and after Em was asleep in her bed, C and I went outside again to try and find the constellations that are familiar to us (C is SO much more knowledgeable than I am in this area). I was particularly interested and excited to find a certain constellation, and to hear from my husband that this constellation will be hanging directly over our roof come wintertime. It seemed like the world was giving us a gift.

Back inside, I told C how much I loved this little nightly ritual we have. C said he couldn’t believe how long it has been since he’s taken time to really look at the stars.

I remember the last time he and I stargazed together… shortly after we’d started dating, we walked to a local park, and sat together in a field of tall grass, in our hooded sweatshirts, looking at the late October night’s sky. I remember how thrilling it was to feel so in love, and loved, and how that made the world’s brilliance even more magical.

Similarly, these past three nights, it’s been breathtaking, to be in my husband’s arms, with our little girl between us, and our son in my body, re-noticing the magic of life.