Moondance- Written March 14, 2025 - Published March 23, 2025

Moondance

Written by Wanda Rodriguez

Written March 14, 2025 - Published March 23, 2025

Moondance

This was the night of the blood red moon, caused by the total lunar eclipse.  It was supposed to be fully covered and the reddest between roughly 2:30-3:30AM EST.  I set my alarm for 2:30 so that I could get up and see the magnificence of the eclipse.  I would like to say that my body woke me up before the alarm, as is often the case, but alas it was my son.  He was wide awake after having watched the Washington Capitals get destroyed in a late game played on the west coast and he was already outside observing the moon by 2:00AM.  Though physically two hours away at school, he was kind enough (??) to call and wake me up to join him in the watch party.  I declined, never even opening my eyes.  I assured him my alarm was set for 2:30 and that I had already promised my body the remaining thirty minutes of sleep.  Back to sleep!  Right?!?!  Wrong!!

“Resistance is futile” is one of my favorite lines from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and that is the line that came to mind as I tried in vain to go back to sleep.  After a few minutes I relented, leaving behind the inviting cocoon of blankets and endless warmth, to prepare instead for the cool night air.  This was not as easy as one might think!  It was a cold night so I had to grab a sweatshirt, a winter coat, two blankets, a folding chair, my camera (Literally my phone! Duh!  It is 2025 after all!) and a small, portable speaker.  Yes, the speaker was essential equipment!  Why?  Music of course!  (Duh again!  Phone speakers are poop-nuggets!)  There I was, outside, bundled and ready to roll by 2:15AM.  Not to flatter myself but I rather resembled Bernie Sanders during the 2020 inauguration, inadvertently of course. 

Make no mistake, I was uncomfortably cold and had anyone driven by my house or peaked out their window at that hour, they would have considered me having taken a swan dive off the deep end!  Because there I sat, in front of my house in the wee hours of a chilly and extremely dark night (the moon was almost completely covered) with Van Morrison’s Moondance playing on loop while chatting and laughing on the phone with my son, and briefly with my daughter as well. To the naked eye I would have appeared to be this lune sitting bundled up and alone, staring at the sky, laughing hysterically, all while occasionally singing and intermittently talking to herself (James was on speaker).  The onlooker might shake their head with confidence thinking, Yep!  We knew this day would come, and here it is!  The old girl has finally lost it!

It turned out that waking up earlier than planned was just what needed to happen!  Not only was I able to share some unique bonding time with two of my “kids,” but I was also able to see the rest of the moon slip slowly away as the little sliver of white at the top gradually gave way to darkness.  It was quite impressive.  My son’s school is in the mountains which afforded him the good fortune of a fabulous vantage point with clear skies for viewing.  He gets credit for the pictures of the red moon used with this post.  Unfortunately for me, by 2:30AM thick cloud coverings had moved in, completely obscuring my view of the moon before it appeared blood red.  Honestly, it was so shrouded by clouds that if I had come out at 2:30 I might not have even known where to look in the sky to find the moon.  Regardless, I had a fun bonding experience with my loved ones.  We got to indulge in some of our famous goof-ball humor and that’s always a good thing.  It reminded me of the time we traveled to Tennessee as a family to see the total solar eclipse in 2017. It also brought up a more recent memory from a few weeks back, when “together” we watched the planets line up across the early evening sky from our various locations.  Likewise, it brought to mind our Southwest adventure from the spring of 2024 and evenings spent stargazing, lying across the car or on the ground in complete awe and amazement of the clarity, magnificence and sheer magnitude of the sky.

Even when we could not physically be together, we found a way to create and share special memories.  My husband, Dave, who passed away in March of 2024, was with us on our Tennessee adventure.  He was fascinated by all things astronomy.  That was a good quest for sure!  We were out in the wilderness of Tennessee with all of the crickets and critters making their active daytime noises, going about their business, but when the eclipse happened everything fell silent.  Everything!  It was amazing to witness.  I don’t think they understood what was happening just, oh now it’s dark and time to be quiet, so they fell instantly silent.  As the sun again began to reveal itself, the chorus of creatures resumed as if a new day had just dawned.

Such is life really.  In the big picture, we don’t necessarily understand why something is, it just is.  We often find ourselves in predictable patterns, routines and behaviors.  It’s comfortable, familiar.  Of course there are variations, but for the sake of this, let’s say that you go to bed at night, you rise in the morning, you eat when you are hungry (or bored, or stressed, or … haha).  We all get into our own grooves and go on about our business, like the creatures in Tennessee.  But sometimes things come up that we don’t understand, and they throw a proverbial wrench into our plans.  They might be an unexpected tragedy, the loss of a friendship, the passing of a loved one, a different job than expected, an unplanned move, a delay getting out the door fast enough, etc.  The list of potential hiccups is endless.  Why or how they happen is sometimes obvious and sometimes it’s just downright annoying.  But have you ever, for example, come upon a fresh car accident and thought to yourself, thank God I couldn’t find my keys because that delay may have saved me from being part of this collision? Or walked through a difficult situation(s)/season(s) only to eventually realize that, though the challenges were great at the time, the experiences served to equip you for something greater down the road?  Again, here the list can go on and on.  I know that I have had these aha moments of clarity.  Equally, I have had times of frustration that turn out to be nothing more than those times of frustration.  There is not a deeper meaning in everything.

My belief is that God is the creator of the universe and of all things.  When we take the time to enjoy an eclipse, share a laugh with someone, take in the sights and sounds of nature, etc. then we are taking in bits and pieces of God’s glory.  When bumps happen along our paths, I believe that sometimes it is at the hand of God. Though we may not understand the bigger picture of why, trusting God, listening to and for God and praying for His eyes, heart, and understanding, often helps bring things into focus.  I know that this can be easier said than done, especially when you are in the thick of it. However, God has a plan for us, and He can also provide great comfort to us through peace that passes all understanding.  I can attest to this firsthand because without God there is zero chance I could have gotten through this past year after losing my husband.  My original plan for music last night was to play all moon related songs but I decided instead to loop Moondance.  I love that song and it was one of our songs.  Listening to it over and over again last night was comforting and kept Dave close in mind and heart.  Can I just have one more moondance with you, my love?  God walked me through the loss and now I have the eyes to look back with love and find peace and comfort in the memories that will always fill my heart. My experiences, good and bad, painful and joyful, past and present, contribute to me reaching the place of wanting to share pieces of my journey to help others.  This is 100% God’s work in my life, His molding and equipping me for things to come.

We do not have the luxury of knowing and understanding everything, but we are covered by God’s good graces and there are lessons to be learned, and miracles to be seen every day, big and small.  It’s been my experience that the more you recognize and acknowledge these little epiphanies, the more aware of them you become.  Not that they are happening more frequently, just that you are better able to recognize them for what they are and embrace the blessing(s).  Life can be challenging (understatement) but it can also be amazing and rewarding beyond measure. In all you do and in all that you come through, know that you are not alone.  God is with you, walking with you, carrying you when needed, guiding you and equipping you for things to come.  This is something amazing to behold.  Do your best to keep moving forward, remembering to acknowledge and praise God’s presence in all things, and never pass up the opportunity for just one more moondance (with you, my love...).