By Scott Raia

 We traveled to Dallas to witness the total solar eclipse with friends and family. This was perhaps our only opportunity to see a total solar eclipse from the United States for the next 20 years. While it was interesting and strange to see the partial eclipse, which lasted for over two hours, nothing in my life compares to the awe I experienced for the two minutes and thirty-eight seconds of totality, except perhaps the birth of our daughter. A silvery ring appeared in the sky surrounded by some bright stars during the early afternoon. Streetlights came on. The morning birds sang. A gecko crawled out of the grass thinking it was nighttime. Our daughter Lucy had run inside in fear from the curtain of darkness falling in the sky and the adults gawking with our solar viewing glasses. It didn’t help that we had to force her into a full face mask to protect her eyes. However, at the moment of full totality, I ran to carry her outside so she would not miss it. None of the pictures or videos from my camera roll even remotely capture the eclipse — except when I turned the camera around.

Scott, Lucy and Kerri Raia while traveling to Texas to watch the eclipse. Photo by Scott Raia

I’m grateful to have a document of my family members’ raw reactions to this once in a lifetime celestial event. The only words I could speak were “Dear God!” when I first took off the glasses. My wife Kerri was speechless. Two-year-old Lucy gasped with eyes wide open looking at the sky. Since Monday, Lucy has recounted the experience with surprising vocabulary at the dinner table. “It got dark and dark and dark. And the moon went in front of the sun.” Who knows how much of this experience little Lucy will remember in adulthood, but I will remember that day for the rest of my life!