We drove out of Joshua Tree and across the Mojave Desert. On the outskirts of town, there are no “cookie cutter” houses. We passed by domes, pyramids, rainbow ranches, and we’re pretty sure we passed by Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen’s moisture farm straight out of Star Wars. When we first saw the landscapes of the desert, they seemed outer worldly. We walked through the outskirts of Tattooine expecting to see Tusken Raiders, and anticipated Jawas springing out to rob us blind. When we were tired from hiking under the sun, where were the banthas to give us a ride? The more of the desert I saw, the more I understood that George Lucas was not only opening our eyes to the greater mysteries beyond universe, but the mysteries of planet Earth.
The drive through the Mojave was mostly straight across sandy, rocky plains until we weaved our way through the mountain ranges that rose and fell beneath the endless blue skies. Crossing over the mountains we celebrated seeing green trees again!
We drove up through the Kaibab National Forest filled with junipers and small pines. Had I half closed my eyes, we could’ve been driving in central Victoria. But suddenly we slowed the car because an enormous deer with a full set of antlers stared at us as it ambled across the road. We continued straight up to the rim of the Grand Canyon.
I saw the Grand Canyon about 25 years ago and Dad saw it when he was only 8 years old. This time might as well have been the first time we ever saw it. There is an awe to seeing the canyon that no words can ever describe. We stood before it small and insignificant, utterly transfixed. When B finally turned away from the view, she gave me a hug and said,
Thank you for bringing me here mama.
Seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time at Mathers Point
Astronauts sometimes have an intense emotional experience called the “overview effect” when they see the Earth as a tiny, blue, green ball floating in space. It’s a profound reckoning of one’s own insignificance, the fragility of Earth, and connection to humanity as a whole. Like coming close to death, it can lead to a clarity of purpose and meaning. It has the power to be transformative to one’s core sense of values and being. I might never know that experience from space, but as I stood before the vastness of the canyon stretched out before me, tears streamed down and I felt the love of Mother Earth and belonging to her family. I held B’s hand, and in that moment, I knew what life is about.
Arriving at the Grand Canyon at Mathers Point