During the summer, I often spent many nights hanging out in my friend’s backyards. There is something about getting together in someone’s backyard, sitting around with our conversations that really relaxes and reassures me. But one particular evening seemed warmer than the others did. It was like the energy was elevated.

But it was not the weather. In fact, it was a rather breezy evening, the kind you bring that extra sweater for. Always just in case. Also, nothing particularly heated occurred either. Again, it was one of those breezy evenings, the kind wear friends share rather drama-free stories, exchanging funny memories and interesting stories more than complaining about the work week we have just went through. It was something in the ambiance. It was something of a physical nature, something about the patio design, something that glowed in the night.

Of all things, it was these multi-colored paper lantern string lights roped around the edges of the patio. They hung from the banister railing of the patio stairs and circled around the deck. They punctuated the evening perfectly in a way I would not have imagined before. How does such a small detail like a string of lights summarize an evening, or a whole summer of weekend evenings?