I’m pretty familiar with highlights. I get them monthly, and over the last 13 years, my mane has cost me as much as a new car.

Yesterday, however, I was treated to different highlights. They’re highlights you can only experience when you’re flying. When the sun is setting on a crystal clear day and you’re flying over dark, craggy mountains, every few seconds there’s a gift that the landscape below provides. A stream, river or lake — otherwise indiscernible from its surroundings — will grab hold of the light and throw a burst of gold towards the sky. As quickly as you’re able to spot it, it disappears. A few miles further, however, another stream catches the light. Before long, the land looks like it’s been decorated with a thousand twinkle lights flickering on and off.

Staring out the window to the west, the sun making its way toward the horizon with each passing moment, made me feel like I was floating somewhere between heaven and a dream. There was no turbulence, there were no clouds and there was no haze in the sky. Just magic highlighting the otherwise hidden parts of the earth.

Tonight I am thankful for the new view I wad given, and for the sparkling, golden glimmering memories that I’ll forever have in my memory. My monthly highlights are all fine and dandy, but the highlights I was treated to yesterday were priceless.