Of Fireflies and Babes

I've formally introduced my children to fireflies. When my oldest was one, most nights we were preoccupied trying to get her to sleep. When she turned two, I was too tired with a newborn to go out much. At three, I have no excuse so on one sleepless night, we headed outside.

My oldest was mesmerized, and I was happy to enjoy the night with her. Yesterday, we went out again and I caught one to show her up close. Please believe me that I had no intention of doing anything evil to it. I was going to let it go right away,but somehow, perhaps, I hurt the poor lighting bug, because it didn't fly but just kept on walking on the sidewalk. My daughter hunched down to it and said to it, "Are you hurt? Don't die! Please fly. Then she said to me, "Mom, stop catching fireflies. Just look."

I was stunned. I couldn't believe she could have so much empathy at a young age. She also seems to notice the difference between the need to kill ants that invaded our house and leaving nature with all its beauty untouched outside. We both watched the firefly for some time until we finally lost sight of it as it crawled in the grass. I couldn't help it, but I prayed for the firefly to be healed.

She's into books about animals right now. We've read Scholastic's True Book series on tigers, lions, polar bears, elephants, fish, frogs, butterflies, alligators, birds, and now I think I need to find some books on fireflies. A added bonus: there's nothing bloody about fireflies. I have a hard time showing her books that have the carcass of the animal's prey in wide view. Though she accepts it as being part of nature.

Some firefly finds: Fireflies in the Night, Fireflies (Reading Rainbow),and of course I can't omit Sam and the Firefly.