Growing up in a small town in the southern United States, I know what it's like to catch fireflies and pack them into a Mason jar - after punching holes in the top of it, of course. We would sit their jar in the windowsill and watch them until we fell asleep. In the morning, we would dump them outside - some alive and some dead.
This might seem like a bit of a stretch, but I've recently realized that I never thought of the fireflies. I know that insects are not particularly high on the food chain or very respected for that matter, but I'm starting to wonder how many things I've regarded with the same lack of respect that I allotted to fireflies. How many people have I ignored when they needed me the most? How many relationships have I let wither away? How selfish have I been?
Starting today, I'm going to leave the fireflies outside where they belong. I'm going to admire the flowers rather than picking them and bringing them indoors. I'm going to truly value the relationships I have. And, I'm going to stop being so selfish.
It seems that evil in the world is becoming all too common: vandals, murders, and rapists. I need to find something good to remind me that the world isn't a bad place. If I can be that good for someone, maybe someone else can be that good for me. Karma, right?
