Your spark is the light they’re looking for…
I think the first time I saw a firefly I was six.
My older sister and I traveled with our daycare provider, Lonnie, to visit her family who lived in Maine.
It was the fourth of July.
We went to one of Lonnie’s parent’s friend’s house to catch the fireworks. You could see them in the far off distance from their yard without all the noise.
They had a big yard and lived away from any main road.
When the sun set and darkness descended all around us, all you could see were the porch lights and a sky full of stars.
The further away you went from the house, the more you could see something else floating, it seemed, through the air, above the tall grass.
It was like baby stars had fallen and were trying to make their way back up to the sky.
“What are those?” I asked with wonder and delight.
Lonnie was astonished; I had never seen fireflies before.
She explained how she used to chase them as a kid and try to capture them in a jar to look at them up close and watch their little light flicker inside.
I went running after them, determined to catch one in my hands.
After several minutes, I was successful. I caught one, cupped it in my hands and peered in with one eye.
It was pretty brilliant how brightly it glowed all on its own, especially with a close-up look.
Sure, they were super pretty and fascinating all flying around in a soft and elegant swarm, but they didn’t need the others to be magnificent.
Friend, YOU and your story are beautifully brilliant.
You are the light illuminating someone else’s dark sky.
And I know how easy it is to believe that our personal story might not be relevant enough… that the story has been told dozens of times (and probably better) by a dozen other people.
But I’m here to remind you that all those things don’t actually matter. Because what your reader needs is YOUR VOICE, YOUR STORY, YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
YOU will be the one that finally brightens their darkest night.
And you don’t have to be everything or know everything or have healed everything to be that light…
Impact doesn’t start with a roaring blaze.
It begins with a spark.
Your spark.
That is how we light up the night.
…Individually and together.
You ARE enough and your story IS relevant.
There is just one more step to take…
…Breathing life into your memoir.
Book a Story Stroll when you’re ready to be the firefly.
Be brave, be you,
Ally