The Things We Don’t Photograph
The First Time I Saw a Firefly
I was very busy studying and had become quite exhausted. So, I decided to go out for a walk to get some rest and clear my mind. I was not expecting anything extraordinary to happen. I just wanted to take a little break from all the studying and breathe for a while. But then, I caught a glimpse of a firefly.
And I know, everyone has probably seen one, maybe since childhood. It might not seem like anything extraordinary to most people. But honestly, this was my first time seeing a firefly in real life. Yes, I had seen them in pictures and movies, but never with my own eyes until now. And oh, just how mesmerized I was just by seeing that tiny little creature!
I stood there, looking at it, almost forgetting why I had even stepped outside in the first place. I really wished I could have capture it in a photograph. I wanted to keep that little moment with me, something I could look at again later. But there was only one firefly, and it kept moving around. And my phone was not there with me at the moment and every time I thought about bringing my phone to capture, I felt that I might lose sight of it. And honestly, I did not want that to happen. I wanted to keep looking at it for as long as I could. So, I let my camera stay away and followed it with my eyes, moving along with it wherever it went.
Just how lovely it was! A tiny little creature glowing in the darkness, moving around as if it had somewhere to be, while I was simply standing there, completely fascinated by it’s presence. I cannot even explain how much joy that little light brought me. It was such a small thing, yet it somehow made my entire day.
And the thing is, even though I could not capture it with my camera, it is forever captured in my heart. Because sometimes not everything is meant to be looked at through photographs. Some things need to be remembered by heart.
For those few minutes, I felt like letting everything in the world be free. All the studying, the exhaustion, the things I needed to do, and everything else could wait. I was just there, looking at it, as if I had forgotten everything else apart from that tiny, glowing light. I did not need to go anywhere or do anything else. I just wanted to live in it.
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And that was the most beautiful part of the whole experience. I went outside because I was exhausted and wanted to take a little rest, but I came back with a memory that made me feel so much lighter.
We often become so occupied with our lives that we fail to notice the small things nearby. Being busy means that we continuously study, work, and worry about what is to come, and then all of a sudden a small thing like a firefly reminds us that we can just stop for a while.
Although I don’t possess a photograph of my first firefly, I do have something that seems just as valuable to me. The recollection of that small light, the joy it gave me, and the sensation of being fully present at that moment. If I ever come across another firefly, I hope that I will recall this feeling. And this time I will not let the chance of taking a picture of it for sure.
And at times we don’t actually need to go somewhere or carry out some action; what we really need is just to live in the moment.
Thankyou to all, for taking out your time and reading this.
Thankyou for letting me share my piece here Ma’am Paulia Dianz ❃
Thankyou to the editor Ma’am as well Hooria Akbar
This story is published in “A Place Called Home” — A warm corner for real voices and honest hearts. Have a story of your own? Share it with us,“Where Your Words Feel Home.”
