Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket; Never let it fade away,
Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket; Save it for a rainy day.
– lyrics by Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss
The decade of my 40's is but a blur. I'm not sure where the time went, but it went fast – seemingly as fast as a streaking star. There are, of course, lots of moments that I can recall and treasure. One of those moments happened nearly 20 years ago, on a night much like tonight...
I wrote about it here on this blog six years ago, but wanted to share it with you again, in the hope that it might inspire you to look up tonight (or tomorrow) and see one of the greatest shows above earth.
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August 2000
"Attention! Important!" the outside of the folded sheet scotch-taped to the kitchen entrance door proclaimed.
Inside: "Mamma, meteor shower tonight. Wake me up. Your loving daughter, Mary"
Oh that Mary. It's so late and I'm so tired. And a nine-year-old needs her sleep more than she needs to get up in the middle of the night to see (or not see) a few shooting stars.
"Attention! Important!" the note on the second step of the stairway proclaimed.
Inside: "I'm serious. Wake me up. Meteor shower tonight."
She'll thank me in the morning for letting her sleep. Too many trees around the house and too close to the city lights to see any stars falling from the sky.
"Attention! Important!" the note in my bathroom sink read.
Inside: "Mamma, wake me up. I mean it. Big meteor shower tonight."
That Mary. Such a headstrong child.
"Attention! Important!" the note on my pillow read. This one decorated with stars and a moon.
Inside: Mamma, meteor shower tonight. Wake me up. P.S. I love you."
Just let me slide into bed and fall off to sleep. I'm so exhausted...
2:00 a.m.: wide awake. I tiptoe down the hall and into Mary's room. I wake her. Holding hands, we make our way down the dark steps, grab a blanket and slip out the door. We lay down on a chaise longue; her little long-limbed body on top of mine; my arms holding her tight.
We look up to the dark sky. And there it was. The most magnificent meteor shower ever. Ecstatic memories in the making: ones that neither Mary nor I will ever forget. Memories that we can dig up and reclaim through all the years of our lives.
"Attention! Important!" the note on the second step of the stairway proclaimed.
"Attention! Important!" the note in my bathroom sink read.
"Attention! Important!" the note on my pillow read. This one decorated with stars and a moon.
2:00 a.m.: wide awake. I tiptoe down the hall and into Mary's room. I wake her. Holding hands, we make our way down the dark steps, grab a blanket and slip out the door. We lay down on a chaise longue; her little long-limbed body on top of mine; my arms holding her tight.
We look up to the dark sky. And there it was. The most magnificent meteor shower ever. Ecstatic memories in the making: ones that neither Mary nor I will ever forget. Memories that we can dig up and reclaim through all the years of our lives.
_________
The Perseid meteor shower will peak late Sunday night and early Monday morning, but you can also catch a good number of meteors in the middle of the night on Saturday. There is a new moon tonight, so the skies will be particularly dark, perfect for viewing the heavens.
Before I go to bed tonight, I'm planning to take a blanket and pillow out into our back yard in the hopes that I'll awake in the night and feel my way out into the dark where I can lay down and look up at the skies and remember that night so long ago. I only wish Mary was here to catch a falling star with me.
Before I go to bed tonight, I'm planning to take a blanket and pillow out into our back yard in the hopes that I'll awake in the night and feel my way out into the dark where I can lay down and look up at the skies and remember that night so long ago. I only wish Mary was here to catch a falling star with me.
