On this, the one year anniversary of the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse, I present a parallel narrative of our great family trip, written by my then 9-year-old son.
I have found an affirmation which read, “After your darkest hour the sun will shine again”, and the total solar eclipse did just that. This total solar eclipse was important because the next total solar eclipse in Canada is twenty years from now, while the next one in Ontario is occuring in 2099. A total eclipse isn’t always at your doorstep, so you don’t have to travel far. My experience of a total eclipse was mind blowing, profound, and intense.
Before the eclipse, my dad was frantic about the weather: checking the forecast every five minutes, comparing different models, and when the models changed, he would change our destination. As a result, we were planning to see the eclipse in Brantford, but we moved it progressively west, as the clouds were heading east at the time of the eclipse, until we decided on Leamington, the tomato capital of Canada–even though it was a four hour drive. After the eclipse, my father was almost a meteorologist, since he spent hours or even days looking at the forecast!
When my family and I finally arrived at Leamington, we set up our chairs to watch the eclipse. I had learned a few days prior that first contact was the first time the moon touched the sun, and second contact was totality. When the eclipse started, I couldn’t see the moon, because my eclipse glasses were too oversized– I could only see the bridge! Eventually, I was able to see the eclipse, which was like the sun imitating the moon. Right before totality, Chelsea fell asleep, so we had to shake her awake!
The diamond ring was the gate to totality, but it itself was a sight you long to see. Totality is only two minutes, so I decided to spend it wisely, and as a result, I looked at the slim but shimmering ring around the moon, which was as yellow as pure gold. Wesley pointed out that the birds were acting weird and following that, I noticed the peachy-orange colour of the sky. When the totality was almost over, I felt like an insignificant little speck in the colossal universe. After my thoughts, the sun shone again. While I was filled with joy, for I saw the amazing eclipse, I also experienced sadness when it was over, because the total solar eclipse left me alone, never the same again.