Northern Lights

a story

Toby took these photographs of the northern lights, Aurora Borealis. We gathered outside our red cabin in the cold and snow of March and watched green rivers dance in the sky. Somewhere between the mountain tops and the stars way beyond them, the lights gifted us a show.

People travel from all over the world to come to Northern Norway with the goal of viewing Aurora in all her majesty. And it is magical, a natural wonder and beauty that puts us humans, who think we know it all, into a trance. Knowing the chemistry and physics of these lights, does not effects their etherial quality. They hint of something much larger than humanity, a spirit world perhaps. Or a force that dares to charm, to inspire the viewer to value the natural world we so often distinguish ourselves from. A gift of beauty to remind us the wonders of mother earth.

Summer brings skies to lite to see Aurora, lite by the never setting sun, but as soon as there is darkness northern lights can be seen again. Most often in shades of green, less often in red or purple. In the dead of winter, when the sun never rises, they are the skies only light, a gift to help humans who may need it appreciate the darkness.

Yet, those who live with Aurora do not stay awake until two in the morning to see her dance, they do not check the forecasts. They become immune. I did not know at the time, but I would spend a total of 8 moths living in Northern Norway, from one winter to the other. In that time, I too lost interest in the lights. I did not loose appreciation, admiration, adoration for Aurora, but after a long day of work I went to bed even if the forecast called for a light show.

And then every so often, to humble us all, the entire sky would ignite in rivers, flowing and dancing. A show so brilliant it would be ignored by no one. My friends and I would curl up in blankets with cups of hot tea, push our heads as far back as they would go and watch the sky for hours.