Her...

I was so exhausted yesterday, that despite all of my desire to stay up all night to try and go to some special location to try and capture the "Rare Super Blue Blood Moon Eclipse" my body and mind were revolting. I just wanted to sleep. So I laid down at 11:30pm and said my evening prayers. Then I spoke to her. I said, if you want me to try and capture you tonight, then please wake me up. Otherwise I will most likely sleep until morning.

I had no desire to set my alarm for 2:30am as much as I desired to go outside and look for her. I apologized for my exhaustion. I said I would be good either way as so many of my friends and family would be gazing upwards in the wee hours and many awesome photographer friends as well. All was Good. I slept hard and dreamt about things I can't remember for the Life of me. 

Suddenly my eyes popped open in the dark. I looked around groggily wondering if I needed to get up and get my son Koa ready for school. I grabbed my phone and looked at the time. 2:30am. I chuckled at first in disbelief.  Than laid there in awe at her gentle touch which awoke me and the pure delightful magic of it all. 

I went outside onto the balcony and peered up into the black and gray clouded sky. A canopy of cover was spread out in the Heavens as far as the eye could see. I stood outside for about twenty-minutes in the cool darkness, looking around the quiet sleeping Honolulu, straining to look to see any silhouettes of people, like me, out on their balconies. All seemed eerily quiet. I kept looking upwards looking for any sign of Light. Of Life.

I gazed at the seemingly solid sheet of clouds sliding across the Heavens. I saw so many faces in an endless awe-inspiring parade. I thought to myself, well, this is what you wanted me to witness. It truly was Beautiful and Inspiring. I thanked her. I had a little quiet reflective time to myself which I was grateful for.

My brain started to go to sleep again, so I was just about to turn to go back to bed. Then there she was. A hole in the moving mass of clouds passed over and above me, and I caught a magnificent glimpse of her Beautiful red light. I laughed again. There you are. I quietly whispered, "Thank you for not abandoning me."

I quickly went into the bedroom and fumbled with my camera, lenses, and realized, much to my chagrin, that I didn't have a tripod with me at home. So unprepared. The thought of a handheld shot in the darkness almost was enough to make me go back to sleep in disgust with myself. I kept the Faith however. 

I went back outside and she was nowhere to be seen. I chuckled to myself after about fifteen minutes of gazing at the thick cloud cover. Then she suddenly appeared again. I made my camera and lens adjustments and shot away in the dim light of her subdued radiance as she quickly faded away again in the clouds. Looking at my viewfinder, the shots were so dark.

Then suddenly, another kīpuka, or hole in the cloud cover, made its way towards her last location. I patiently watched it from afar as it morphed and made its way towards her. I pointed upwards and waited. Then she showed herself again through the hole in the clouds.

I shot away before she faded into the blackness again. There were clouds as far as I could see on the horizon. I felt that was it. The best I was going to do. As my body felt tired again and the excitement of the night began to wane overcome by the gloom of depletion. 

That is when she said, "I just wanted you to see me. Go back to sleep. Slumber. Heal. I am Beautiful tonight, and every night. I reflect the Love and Light of the Universe which surrounds us. Even when I am Shadowed, I still Shine Bright and even more Beautifully. Tonight, however, I am the Red of the Earth. I am the Sacred and Healing Female 'alaea. The red colloidal ocherous Earth. I am the Divine Female blood that flows and brings forth Life. Now Sleep. 

I thanked her for a most Beautiful night. For her Kindness. Her Healing. Her Love. I let her know how much I Loved her and wished her a Beautiful Restorative Goodnight.

I fell back to deep sleep quickly. When I awoke, I rushed to get my boy up and get him to school and myself to work. All day, I wondered if I had just dreamt the whole Beautiful episode. It wasn't until I returned home, that I beelined for my camera, and flipped through the images. There she was. It was Real.  I was Deeply and Humbly Grateful to see her again. One more time. Captured. Remembered. Treasured. And Forever Loved...