Well, hello there. My name is Morgan Harper-Nichols. I'm an artist and a writer, and this is a space where I share words that I hope can make a little room for you to slow down and take a few deep breaths as you prepare for whatever lies ahead. Thanks for being here today. And now on to today's episode.

When I think about fireflies, I think about being a kid outside in the summer, looking around and noticing the yellow flickers in the dark. Growing up, we would play amongst them, trying to catch them,

trying to capture their glow in our hands. If I close my eyes, I can still see the line of trees

across from the church where my parents are pastors. We would look across the parking lot for

fireflies, and sometimes we would see see them and sometimes we wouldn't.

It was the possibility that they might appear that stays with me to this day. And now, though I live

many miles away from that place and I don't see fireflies often at all, if I close my eyes,

I'm still taken aback to that moment of anticipation and wonder.

What comes to mind when you think about fireflies?

Are you able to picture an image from childhood when fireflies will light up a part of your backyard or nearby forest? Because fireflies are only

visible in certain parts of the world, perhaps you were left to your imagination because they

didn't exist in the area where you grew up. Maybe you've only experienced fireflies as an adult.

What was it like the first time you noticed them? Are you transported like I am

every time you see their glow in the dark? No matter how young or old we are, fireflies seem to

captivate us with their bioluminescent light. They are a symbol of wonder of living simply and reveling in the

small moments of joy. And with over 2,000 different species, fireflies also teach us about

possibility, about looking at things in a new light. So today, let's take a journey into the dark

to explore three different things we can learn

from these small, beautiful creatures.

Number one, the small things are worth cherishing just as much as the big things.

Because fireflies are only visible in certain environments at certain times of year,

at certain times of day, the amount of fireflies you might see varies based on where you are

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