The Firefly
"Even in darkness, let your light shine."
Sitting on the hillock, Amara took her eleven year old daughter, Tandy into her arms as she sang. Together they sat in silence and stared wakefully at the moon, with a twinge of nostalgia, mesmerizing from the calmness and serenity of the cool night. The sound of crickets chirping their nightly melodies could be heard as Amara fought back tears, remembering what her husband used to say. You’re just like the stars. You’re God’s most beautiful creation. Several stars glimmered in the pale moonlight, illuminating the sky with a brilliant ray of silver and blue lights. It further beautified the night and added more relaxation to the atmosphere that was much needed.
“I love when we come here at night. It’s so much beauty in nature.” Tandy gently laid her head on her mother’s shoulder. Her lips stretched into a smile, followed by a deep dimple on one cheek.
“I know, dear.” She pulled back Tandy’s hair and kissed her forehead. “That’s why I brought you here. It was mine and your grandmother’s favorite place,” she said taking Tandy’s chin into her hand to turn it toward her. “I want it to be ours now. So…. How was school today? Anything interesting that you learned?”
“It was splendid. I actually learned something interesting.”
“Well, I sure hope you did. Why else would I pay all that money?” Amara chuckled. “So, let’s hear it.”
“Actually, it wasn’t my teacher that told me this story but my best friend who told me about the black sheep.”
“The black sheep?” Amara replied curiously.
“Yes, my best friend’s father told her the story so she wanted to share it with me.”
“Why don’t you go ahead and tell me the story.”
Tandy cleared her throat. “She told me that a very long time ago, a black sheep was born into a flock of white sheep. Its wool was ugly and served no purpose, and its meat was abominable. So, the black sheep was useless to the farmer and in its death no one cared.” Tandy slid her bare feet back and forth through the grass in a playful manner. “With that, she said most times it is better to be a white sheep than a black one to get the respect we desire.”
Upon hearing this, Amara wondered what this best friend of her daughter’s would instill into her next. “That was lovely dear, but let me add something that will paint a far better picture.”
“Okay, mom.”
“You see that group of fireflies over there?”
Tandy stood up to get a better view. “I see them!”
“You know, those little critters are an artistry of nature. She took a long deep breath and placed her hands on her hips. There was one firefly she had been studying in particular. “And they send a powerful message just like everything you see here.
“What message is that?”
“If you look closer, you will see that the firefly over there is much different from the others.”
Tandy looked to her left and squinted her eyes at a tiny object flying around all alone. “I see it. Wow! It’s light shines so much brighter than the others.”
“That is exactly right. It is a unique member of the family that stands out and exhibits its own hue that is much more beautiful.” She smiled and began stroking Tandy’s hair.
“But how did you notice that out of all of them? They’re so small.”
“I observed. And that’s the problem with most people; they don’t pay close attention. They only look at what’s on the surface, rather than what’s on the inside which makes them see limited information. Think of that firefly as a black sheep.”
“But mom, how could it be a black sheep when it’s so beautiful and colorful?”
Amara studied the firefly’s motion for a moment. It was like a leaf soaring in the wind and lighting up the world from the darkness. It’s wings were also different from the others, and like a leader it kept on its own path than following the others. She finally responded, “Black sheep aren’t ugly. In fact, they’re the most beautiful and they can have the most beautiful souls too. They are different yes, but refuse to follow everything that the flock of white sheep will. You see…” Amara furthers. “They are often secluded from the flock of white sheep that are not always what they seem.
“Whoa, I never looked at it like that.” Tandy was agape.
At first the expression on her mother’s face was one of amazement, but it quickly changed into sadness within seconds of looking at the firefly.
“What is it mom?”
Amara went on to say to her daughter that people know that black sheep have what they do not have in their uniqueness. They form a group against them and in reality this happens all the time. They are frowned upon, outcasted so as to steal their joy, to test them, and to make them doubt themselves. The white sheep will say to themselves, let’s see what becomes of its peculiarity. The best form of compliment is being yourself, which is sometimes being the black sheep.
“Wow, I take back everything I’ve ever thought about people being the black sheep. I never knew you were this brilliant mom.”
“That sounds like an insult, but okay.” Amara burst into laughter. “You know, your father was a unique firefly just like that one.”
“He was?”
“Yes, in time I will tell you.”
Tears streamed down her cheeks and it disappeared with the sweep of her hand. She turned her head away to keep Tandy from noticing. At that moment, Amara reminisced about her husband being the black sheep of his family. He was the youngest child and the only one that didn’t work in the family business like all the others.
He was rejected by his siblings and disowned by his parents who thought he wasn’t good enough to help run the family business and own it someday. Aside from that he was the only one who disagreed with them about numerous things including his very own goals that they thought were ridiculous. Up until his death, he wasn’t invited to a single-family gathering, and relatives spoke ill of him. They mocked his dream and voted against every single idea he brought to the table to help better the family’s business. However, before his death he pitched his dream to a stranger that resulted in success. He brought in far more earnings that left Amara and their daughter well off.
“Mom I’m feeling sleepy.” Tandy yawned and stretched her arms as wide as they could go.
“Yes I think it’s about time they we get some shut eye.”
“Thank you for everything you’ve taught me.”
Calm and peaceful nights were all Tandy had been dreaming of, and on this beautiful night, as she laid her head on her mother’s shoulder, she looked at the firefly one last time and smiled. It was still flying all alone, this time it’s light a shade of purple. The other fireflies had flown further away. Her eyes slowly began to close. Amara watched as her daughter slept peacefully and she gazed at the firefly drawing closer to her and thought of her husband. She smiled and whispered, “Goodnight my Firefly.”