Solace in the solstice

My husband Brian took this photo from our back porch this evening, which is the evening of the longest day of 2010. We have had a crazy year so far. With the birth of our baby, the loss of Grandma, and the death of Jack-Dog, we've been preoccupied in thoughts and worries and haven't had or taken much time to get outside and look around. Our garden is way behind, and we are working on believing that is okay. The house is messy, the baby keeps us up nights, and we sleep late, and there's never enough time in the day...but tonight we had our dinner (mostly garden and farm stand veggies) at the picnic table facing out on this beautiful view. Just as Brian was taking this photo the lightning bugs began to flicker, and in a few minutes there were more flashing bugs in one place then anyone has ever seen anywhere. There is, in fact, one flashing on the wall of my bedroom as I write this. Today we hugged and played with our baby, and ate good food together, and looked out together on the majesty of our home, and life was good in that moment. Life is good, too, in this moment as I write- my husband and baby breathing rhythmic sleepy breaths. I can never know what the next moment holds in store for us, but I will try to take each
minute as it goes by and absorb the beauty and joy from it.