We’ve sometimes lamented that in many ways, Namine has not been able to have a normal childhood. She spent much of her earlier years in the hospital. Even now, despite being much more stable, medically, she still gets sick fairly easily. We have to be very careful in the colder months.
Jessica and I didn’t know each other when we were children, but we have often traded stories of our childhoods. One thing we’ve found we had in common is our love of chasing, catching, and releasing fireflies.
Even in the summer, Wisconsin evenings can get cold. Dew and all-around dampness starts to accumulate, making it risky for someone like Namine, who is susceptible to that sort of thing. Once it gets past 7:00 in the evening, we haven’t really let Namine stay outside, except for circumstances like the Fourth of July fireworks.
During our trip to the Milwaukee Astronomical Society, we did stay out late — we had to, in order to wait for the darkness to properly see the moon. While we were out, Namine discovered that we weren’t alone outside in the dark. She watched in awe as the sparkle of fireflies dotted the hillside.
The fireflies weren’t shy, either. They would come and alight on her (if you’ll pardon the pun). Namine was very gentle, giggling and laughing as they crawled on her before flying away. Jessica and I rediscovered this love, too: we ran and jumped, catching more for Namine to see up close.
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