For 1 Day, The Divided States Of America United Again

History books will remember Aug. 21, 2017, as the first time in 99 years that a solar eclipse raced over each of the Lower 48 states. That day, though, was so much more. On that day, the divided states of America were united again, distracted from dire headlines, partisan bickering and petty disagreements.

All it took to bring Americans together with smiles and charity was the moon-darkened sun that moved silently from one coast to the other, each area it crossed joining the previous like strands in a peaceful, easy harmony.

No angry confrontations erupted between competing groups. People drawn to the moon mingled pleasantly with those who worship the sun. All along the path of totality, a 70-mile-wide, 3,000-mile-long swath from Oregon to South Carolina, kindness reigned among people sharing their wonderment at one of nature’s most spectacular shows.

At no time did anyone say, “I’ve got mine, you get yours.” At every turn, the story was the opposite.

Consider what happened in Times Square, when a stranger dried the tears of a mother and her young child through the simple act of sharing her eclipse glasses.

The immigrants from Mexico City had fallen short in the long line to get tickets to a big eclipse party at the American Museum of Natural History. They tried to book rooms in a couple of hotels hosting viewing parties at rooftop bars, but they were off limits to people younger than 21. Defeated, they joined the masses in the streets, where they encountered the young woman who offered them a peek through her glasses as the moon covered the sun.

The youngster learned an important lesson in sharing and generosity, and she’ll pass it along, her mother told Patch.

It was beautiful — as if, during those hours between 9 a.m. Pacific Time and 4 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, Aug, 21, 2017 — America found her light while bathed in darkness.

Photo by Kristal Dixon, Patch staff

Daniella Pavon contributed to this report