Observing the Moon for the First Time

Our astronomy club had an outreach program at a high school  about half an hour away.  I think there were seven of us with telescopes and a good crowd of teachers, and parents and children.  It is always a joy to see people observe the moon for the first time.  I loved seeing the patience of this mom and her young son, as she worked to make sure that he was able to see the moon.  It is difficult for young children to grasp the idea, in the dark, of centering one of their eyes over the eyepiece in order to see objects through the telescope.  You really need to position your eye within 1/4" of the exact center of the eyepiece.  But with patience, he did see the moon.  I love the tenderness with which the mom holds her young child and the concentration she is using to position him.  When he had seen the moon, then she took her turn and was amazed by what she saw.  That's what makes these events so wonderful for me, that I can be the one to show the moon to someone, through a telescope, for the first time!