5 Minutes of Magic

I took an overnight flight from San Francisco to Massachusetts a few weeks ago.

Optimistically, I expected to fall fast asleep for the entire flight. I failed miserably.

Tired, frustrated, and stressed at how the following day was going to play out, I gave up. I removed my sleep mask and turned toward the window, annoyed I couldn’t even use the time to look at the world below me.

As my eyes adjusted to the dark, I realized I was staring right at the Milky Way. Scrambling for my glasses, I put them on and leaned closer.

A million stars.

In the distance, a huge lightning storm - clouds glowing from above with each bolt.

And then?

A shooting star. I swear to God.

I looked around the cabin hoping someone else had witnessed this 5 minutes of magic. Everyone was sleeping.

My shoulders relaxed, my brow unfurrowed. I smiled, closed my eyes, leaned my head back and let joy fill my body.

Sure, I was exhausted the next day. But I didn't care one bit.