Venetian Fireworks

We just got back from our weekend in Venice, during which there happened to be fireworks right by Piazza San Marco. “I don’t know why, but I just love fireworks!” said one of my roommates while dodging her head around to get the best view possible. I think most of us appreciate fireworks for their grandiosity and limited amount of shows we see.  Not only are firework shows far and few, the fireworks themselves are one of a kind. That specific design that you see burst open into the sky, will only ever happen once, and you just witnessed it. How amazing is that?! Each chemical combustion is a piece of art in itself, and lasts for a moment in time. The beauty of fireworks is their uniqueness, whether fiery red, cool blue, garden green, royal purple, lightening white, they’re all variations of a model, never quite the same as the one before it.

While I was watching them explode, I thought about my friend’s comment, asking myself why it is that I like fireworks (I used to be terrified of them!). We marvel at fireworks for their instantaneity, their brief beauty. Fireworks are like life, every second, every experience, different from the last one. No matter how hard you try to repeat it-getting a cappuccino at your favorite cafe, eating gelato in the nearby piazza, or grabbing a pizza across town (I realize these are all food related, what can I say…I’m in EATaly!), the memory can never be recreated. And that’s the beauty of life. Every moment is different and unique, inviting new friendships and laughter, tastes and sights all the time. So let’s enjoy fireworks and appreciate every moment for what it is, just a small piece of life.