FLICKERING CANDLES AND TWINKLING STARS

Broken only by the occasional haunting chorus of coyote howls, a serene hush has settled over the desert. Mighty saguaros, like giant sentinels, stand dark in silhouette against a diamond-studded nighttime curtain of twinkling stars. Washing over us, balmy night breezes carrying residual warmth from the day caress our faces and whisper desert secrets. On the horizon, a familiar rocky ledge first takes on a dusty blurred texture, then ultimately diminishes to mere shadow.

Shimmering candles illuminate our table. The sole source of light in the lanai, they increase the magic of this Sonoran night. Look at how a single candle can both defy and define darkness.* At first it is as if Jim and I are alone in the universe until one by one lights flit on in distant houses, golden lamplight spilling from their windows onto the desert floor.

Candles flicker; stars twinkle silently. Sometimes the beauty of a moment can be heart-stoppingly intense. I try to carefully store the memory of this magic moment away.

* Anne Frank