Total Solar Eclipse

April 8, 2024

“Wow",” was all the text read.

I am sitting in the backyard with my sister, my nephew and my cat. We moved the Adirondack chairs out from under the porch into the yard so that we could have an unobstructed view of the sun. We are wearing our solar eclipse glasses while waiting for this “once in a lifetime event” to happen. Austin was in the path of totality, so the past several weeks have been filled with chats and preparation for the day. My school was cancelled, with the note that there was expected to be a high volume of traffic and so that we could enjoy the event with our families.

“Wow,” was a text from the boy I have been dating. He tells me later that he was watching the eclipse from the top of the parking garage at his work. “I didn’t expect it to be that cool,” he says. “I agree,” I responded.

When the sun was fully eclipsed and the world went dark, I was amazed and sad that the clock was already ticking. I knew from the news that we would have only about two minutes of total darkness before the sun would start peeking out again.

When I read the “wow” text, I am suddenly struck by the similarities of this event and this relationship. I met him quite unexpectedly, when I was not looking for him, and he has fully eclipsed my life and my heart. There are times when I look at him and I am amazed and sad because it feels like the clock is already ticking. It feels like I will always have to say goodbye to the people I love. He feels like sand in my hands.

But my options are crystal clear before me: I can stay inside, steel myself, and miss this “once in a lifetime event,” or I can open the door, pull the chair out into the wide open view, and whisper, “wow,” knowing that he is only a few miles away doing the same thing.