21 years ago was the last time that I had felt the effects of the solar eclipse in my life. Well, that was a bit of a stretch. Originally, I never actually had the chance to witness the eclipse because my mom was pregnant with me at that time, but I did witness the total solar eclipse on that day. Though she did not see the eclipse herself, I have a theory that it may have played a role in my life that far surpasses the obvious.
From a scientific perspective, a solar eclipse is when the alignment of the sun and moon appears as if the moon is blocking the sun. It is essentially casting a shadow over the sun, making the light appear dark for a few minutes. Though the sun is 400 times wider than the moon, it is also 400 times farther. This is why we see the sun having a similar size to the moon, so when the moon casts a shadow on the sun, we can experience complete darkness. Unfortunately, I was not on the stretch to witness the solar eclipse, but it was nice to have a back-story behind it.
There is always a sense of security in the way nature has a way of following you. These are the moments we have no control over, and that is what makes them life’s most spectacular feats. The solar eclipse was a reminder of that for me. On the day of the eclipse, I was unsure if we would be able to see it because we did not have the correct equipment (the glasses). There were various 'first-come, first-serve' events that provided the glasses, and my mom chose to make it possible by taking advantage of one of them. When she saw the disappointment on my face, she undertook the mission to make viewing the eclipse possible for me. My mom waited in line for two hours in a place that she was not familiar with just for the glasses. I was so surprised by what she had done. You may be thinking “what a great mother." She definitely is a great mother, but the love she had for me in making this occurrence possible played a stronger role.
As clichéd as it may sound, my mother was the light at the end and the beginning of my solar eclipse. She knew how to manage my period of darkness to make it possible. My mom, dad, and I had the opportunity to witness this spectacular feat because my mother made it possible. Last time the pregnancy did stop her, but this time she was undefeated.
My simple anecdote hopefully signified the importance of love in some period of darkness. My mother played a vital role in conquering some of my demons and internal conflicts. To an extent, I could feel the warmth of the light at the end.
These have been turbulent times for our nation. The darkness seems to be all –encompassing much like the moon casting a shadow. As we have witnessed in the solar eclipse, the darkness is temporary; there will be light at the end of this. Human beings are complicated, but we do believe in the idea cohesion in some way. Something I found interesting was how the solar eclipse brought various people from our nation together. It was a day in which no one worried about social issues or politics; we were just human beings witnessing one of the solar system's greatest treasures.
