Seeing Stars
Summer night:
in my eyes starlight
hundreds of years old
—George Swede
Every year I tell myself that I’ll stay up to watch the Perseid meteor showers and it never happens. I like to sleep! But this year, I woke up during the night and decided to go outside. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I was able to see more and more stars. Venus was very bright. The Big Dipper was visible and lots of other constellations I don’t know. I love looking at the stars.
Stargazing connects me to a different and longer perspective. People before me have looked up at these same stars and people long after me will also. Sitting quietly in the dark with no expectations and no obligations made me feel content and happy. I thought of the many stories about the constellations and how they’ve helped to guide people through troubled times to a better future, or even just to their next destination. It reminds me that “this, too, shall pass.”
I didn’t need to see shooting stars to make the night more special. And yet, as I got ready to go inside, one blazed across the sky. It was magnificent. It felt like a gift just for me. And I slept well when I went back to bed.