Space. It’s a vast open area with no limits, no bounds, nothing to hold back. Even gravity doesn’t have a tether on open space. It’s mesmerizing and dangerous. It’s so incredibly big no one knows how far it might reach. It’s peaceful and fatal. It’s silent and beautiful. It is free.
Out in the universe there are millions of galaxies with millions of planets, and each one of those planets is part of one of the millions of solar systems that are home to millions of stars. Stars. A sign of hope, light and eternity.
Sometimes, when it feels dark I imagine the first time I ever saw the beauty and wonder of the stars. It was when I was a little girl, and my father told me he had a wonderful surprise for me. He took this long, metal machine out from his room and into the backyard. I sat and watched as he set up his odd contraption, and I wondered why I had never seen it before. He told me to look up, and he asked what I saw, I told him I saw faint white lights, the clouds were hazing my view of them, making it hard to tell if they were there at all. He told me, “Look through here,” and when I did, I was amazed. They weren’t faint at all, they were vibrant and beautiful. He told me, “Never forget this, these are stars, they burn from the love of a million hearts, including yours and mine. Remember, even during the day, these stars shine. Always remember that when you can’t find the light, be the light.” and to this day I have never forgotten his words.
My father taught me some of my most valuable lessons, and showed me some of the most beautiful sights anyone could ever see.
Little did I know those stars would be one of the last memories I had with him.
My father was shot on his shift as a police officer in Phoenix, Arizona. He pulled over a man to tell him his car lights were out and the man thought the cops had found out about the drugs he was bringing back with him from Mexico. When my father confronted him, the man pulled out a pistol and shot my father in the chest. The man was later arrested and I was told that he was under the influence of crystal meth.
The stars have never seemed as bright since.
To this day, I’ve never met the man who killed my father.
I want the world to see that life can change in a split second. It doesn’t always take time, it doesn’t wait for a convenient moment. It does’t matter if you’re black, white, young, old, christian, muslim, or anything else. Life doesn’t differentiate between the rich and the poor. Anyone’s life can change at any moment, so use your time wisely.
You’re never too young to look at the stars, you’re never too cool to make memories with your family, and you’re never too old to change.
kimberlynne 