Excited, three-year-old Denali climbed into the RV. They were going camping, and she loved camping.

“Denal’, we’re going to an eclipse,” yelled big brother Dane. He got out of school early, and was quite excited, as were Mom, Dad, and sister Caroline. In fact, Dad left work early to come.

Denali shrugged. All she knew was that Bugga (her grandpa) and her Grandma were also going. Whatever an eclipse was, Denali figured it must be neat, so she certainly wanted to go.

To keep the kids entertained Mom started a movie. The drive, however, seemed to last forever, and Denali fought a losing battle to keep her eyes open. When she awoke, they were already there. Groggily she looked out the window.  The strange campground looked more like a parking lot. Bugga’s shelter was already up, and under it were two tables. On one, someone had set out snacks, and Bugga was doing something on the other; there were boxes, some small white balls, and what was that in his hand? Paints!

“Bugga, can I paint?” Caroline yelled.

“Me too,” yelled Denali – seems she was always yelling “me too.”

Bugga stuck the balls on some sticks and tried to explain the eclipse. Dane and Caroline were interested, Denali wasn’t, she just wanted to paint.

Dane painted the big ball yellow and orange. He said it was the sun.

The middle-sized one Caroline painted purple, brown, green, and blue. She said it was the Earth.

Denali painted the little one. Bugga told her it was the moon and that she could paint it any color she wanted. She painted it pink. She liked pink.

While they painted, Grandma gave them a treat she called a moon pie. Denali didn’t know if she wanted a moon pie, but she loved chocolate and marshmallow, so she had three.  They were delicious.

While they painted, Bugga and Dane kept fiddling with something in a box. Denali knew it was Bugga’s new camera, but she didn’t know why it had a box around it. Dane and Bugga kept poking their heads in the box to look at something.

Dad and Mom kept looking at the sky through some funny sunglasses. Then Dane and Caroline got to look through the glasses. Meanwhile, Denali continued painting her moon. Once satisfied with her work she grew curious.

“What was everybody looking at?” she wondered.  “Bugga said we couldn’t look at the Sun, so what were they looking at?”

Sidling next to Bugga, Denali reached up and got his attention. “Me too?” she pleaded.

Bugga put the funny glasses over her eyes. Odd, she couldn’t see a thing, everything was dark. He took her shoulders and slowly turned her around.

“Look up, what do you see?”

“It’s the moon!” Denali cried in wonder. It was daytime, the sun was shining, and there was a sliver of orange moon. It was almost as lovely as her pink moon.

“It’s the moon!” she cried again, beaming from ear to ear.

—-

Those eyes, the wonder in Denali’s voice, suddenly the entire experience fell into perspective. In that first glance, Denali instantly understood the mystery of a solar eclipse. I’m sure she remembers little of my attempt to explain what was happening. She was a bit foggy on the whole sun/moon thing. In her mind, that small sliver of the sun was the moon, but that’s okay. I am confident she will long remember the time she painted a moon pink, ate moon pies, and saw an orange moon.

In the hustle and bustle of our cynical world, we need more such opportunities.

More chances to see the world through the eyes of a three-year-old.

David L Dahl.

I would love to hear your comments.
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