When I was, young lightning bugs blew my mind. Small creatures that glowed in the sky. To me, they seemed to hold a little bit of magic. Whether or not they contain magic, they still hold a special place in my heart. Some of my fondest memories are due to the lightning bugs in my backyard.

My family taught me the perfect way to catch lightning bugs. We would take an old pickle jar and stab holes in the lid. Then I would pull some grass up out of the yard and place it in the bottom of the jar. I would also hunt for some small sticks to put in the jar. I wanted to make it nice and homey.

After I had the perfect jar, the hunt began. I was taught the perfect way to cup my hands to catch them. Cupping my hands helped to keep me from crushing them. I would run around my yard catching as many as I could. Collecting them all in my jar.

After I was tired of catching them, I would sit with my family and watch them. It was one of the best parts. Sitting with my family, investigating a different species. This was one of the many ways my family helped me fall in love with learning.

I became a big sister when I was four and eventually I was blessed with five younger siblings. I was eager to teach my younger siblings everything I knew. One thing I could not wait to share with them was the art of catching lightning bugs. This time I was the one seeing the magic in their eyes.

I heard their "ooohs," and "aahs." I loved helping them build their perfect jar. I love helping teach them the perfect way to cups their hands. Sharing the magic of catching lightning bugs with them meant so much to me because I love bonding with my siblings.

One of the funniest memories in my family has to do with lightning bugs. We were rehearsing for my mom's and step-dad, Chris's wedding. My little brother Gabriel was three years old. He was their ring bearer. We were practicing walking down the aisle. It was his turn to walk down the aisle. He began walking, holding the little pillow and then he saw a lightning bug. He was so excited that he threw the pillow into the air and yelled, "lightning bug!" Then he took off running My family still laughs about it to this day.

Lightning bugs may not be magic, but they have brought a lot of magic into my life. Lightning bugs have brought me laughs, joy, and have brought my family together. While catching lightning bugs, I have seen magic in my little siblings' eyes. I have sat on the porch with my mom and grammies and watched the sky glow. Every time I see that small, twinkling, green light, I am reminded of my loving family.