You'll Be In My Heart

Haylie turned one-year-old today. Until today, this story of love and trust was probably common to those who had been similarly blessed. However, that changed today. Any first birthday guaranteed it to be a special day. Looking back on that eventful night made me realize it was also Earth's new birthday. Nothing was ever going to be common again. What happened that night became the catalyst for when love and trust would stand up and be counted and when evil would be held accountable.

It was a sunny, warm April day. We joined family and friends for the birthday party. Haylie was on the smallish side as proved out in her one-year-old measurements. Haylie had yet to say real words but recognized a bunch of them. She was bright and cute, even to those not named "Grandpa".   

The party was typical in the fact there were too many gifts. There was an abudance of adults trying to hold, play with and get Haylie's attention. As I had been fortunate to have steady access to her, I allowed the others to have their day. Of course there was a big cake and the obligatory birthday girl diving into it. A few hours later as night was approaching, only the immediate family remained. At last grandpa got to hold the birthday girl. It had been a spectacular day. Everything was about to change.

Being a beautiful April night, we all went into the backyard. It was one of those rare nights that was crystal clear. The full, bright moon gleamed overhead and billions of stars shone. Everyone admired the brilliant sky. I wandered to the back of the yard with Haylie in my arms. What happened next was hard to explain. A point in the sky got very bright and began to move like a shooting star. The trouble was the shooting star was headed straight at us.

A narrow tunnel of light came dead at Haylie and me. It engulfed us before we could move. Then we couldn't move at all. It lifted us slightly off the ground. I could see outside the tunnel but nobody seemed concerned by it. I tried to shout but was unable to speak. I looked at Haylie who appeared both bewildered and curious. Though eerily familiar to my dreams, there was no voice.

Then a second colored light started flowing within the tunnel. I could see it approach me. I could feel it enter my head and flow throughout my body. There was no pain. Instead, there was a tingling sensation and a sense of warmth. It flowed through me head to toe and started to flow out my arms towards Haylie. There was nothing I could do to protect her. Just as it reached my fingertips, it paused and lightened in intensity. Then it flowed through Haylie in the same manner and disappeared. We were lowered slowly to the ground and the tunnel of light was gone. We could move again.

I began yelling, "Haylie, are you alright? Are you alright?"

What happened next went far beyond strange. I could hear Haylie's voice but her mouth wasn't moving. "Light. Grandpa. Light. Where. Mommy. Light. Daddy. Light. Sky. Moon. Light. Grandpa." Everyone was running towards us.

Rich      What's wrong?

Darrel   What was that?

Rich      What was what?

Darrel   That light that surrounded us!

Rich      What light?