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The long drive from the northwest corner to the southern tip of Illinois was a small price to pay for four minutes of joy.

As I got closer to Carbondale I saw clusters of people gathered in small town parks,ôôֱ²¥stopped in rest areas and other spots that would have considerably less traffic after the eclipse. But I am glad I joined the tens of thousands on the SIU campus. To be sure the return traffic was intense. But the atmosphere on campus was electric.

As remarkable as the eclipsing was, I wasn't fully prepared for totality.

An extremely enthusiastic and entertaining university professor covered the area where I spent most of my day.ôôֱ²¥ He described what we should look for at the full eclipse.

Internet photos provide a very accurate depiction of the corona, but seeing it with my own eyes was simply incredible. The crowd roared at the instant the moon completely covered the sun.

I immediately felt a powerful connection to my wife who died last year.

That the improbable was happening in the heavens reinforced my belief that the energy we share with the people we love in our lives will forever be restored.

During totality there was brightness in the shape of a pearl at the bottom of the eclipse. The professor explained this was the sun shining through a crater on the moon. How is that possible?

But I was totally unprepared for what happened next.

What looked like the tiniest sliver of the sun moved from out of the moon's shadow, the brightest white light imaginable lit up the campus. It was as if a massive flare had been struck. Unbelievable.

I firmly believe in evolution. I can imagine the dust of atoms bonding to form the universe. I can imagine life evolving to survive in and to thrive in a constantly changing environment.

But there is more. There is a spirit in us that defies explanation, I think. There are moments in nature, like the moon covering the sun, that create a sight that sends us soaring.

To be honest I made this trip as a distraction from the loneliness of loss. My distraction became a revelation.

My spirit soared for four minutes the afternoon of April 8, 2024, and the wonder of that moment in nature restored me. At least for a bit. And I am grateful.

In a world, of our collective making, filled with dishonesty, distrust, and despair, those four minutes in witness of nature's wonder sent us all soaring above the fury, restoring that spirit in all of us.

At least for a bit. And we should all be grateful.

Mike King, Dakota