Shining Stars

It was a warm summer night and Charles wasn’t able to sleep, as a bright light from the sky, was shining on him. He got up, opened the window and stepped on to the roof. The sky was illuminated with millions of stars glowing down. He was mesmerized by this sight. Thousands of stars were punctuating the darkness of the night. ‘What is making them so brilliant,’ he wondered?

One, brighter than the other, caught his attention. It was dazzling and beautiful. He told himself that he needed to have her. He was convinced that if he possessed such a treasure his life would be so much better. No one owns a star after all. So, he went back in to the house to get something to catch it and all he could find was a thick rope. He stepped back on the roof and threw the rope in its direction. It was far, way farther than he anticipated. Nevertheless, he was convinced that he could do it with the strength of his little heart. He tried in vain again, again and again. It was out of reach. He sat down and held his head between his hands in sorrow. The tears rolling down his cheeks caught the light of the stars and shined back at the object of his desire. Intrigued by what was happening, the star came down towards the little boy. The intensity of her beauty was now illuminating Charles’ face. It was so bright that he had to squint to look at it.

“Why are you crying little boy?”

–  “Hum eh, are you talking to me?”

“Yes, what is wrong? Why are you crying?”

–  “Well, the light of your splendour woke me up. And, when
I stepped outside to admire you, I realized that I needed to have you.”

It laughed and gave him a look full of tenderness.

“You know us stars can’t be someone’s possession, we belong to all.”

–  “But why? I need to have you.”

It laughed affectionately again.

“You don’t have to tie me down for that. You can love me and I can be there for you. Charles, do you know what true love is? When someone is predestined to you, he or she will find its way to you with the universe magically cooperating. But in order to find true love, you have to love yourself first. Do you love yourself Charles?”

–  “Well, I don’t like my crooked nose and my long legs. I am neither the strongest nor the fastest one. Do you think someone will love me for whom I am?”

“Of course, but you have to believe in yourself. Do you know why I shine so brightly Charles? It’s because I found out that I can unravel my glow by loving myself for whom I am with my imperfections and qualities. The radiance that you see is called love. Once you find your inner love, you too will shine.”

–  “But Star, how do I love myself?”

“Don’t have doubts about your worth. Any time spent doubting your worth is also time wasted of your life, thrown away. You can be the most beautiful person in the world and everybody sees light and rainbows when they look at you. But, if you don’t believe it, none of it matters. It’s not like you have forever, so don’t waste any of your seconds, don’t toss even one of your moments away.

– “Thank you Star. What else should I know?”

“Learning how to forgive, and how to extend love and compassion to others are two of the most important things we should be taught. Harvesting grievance hurts far more than anything or anyone. It cuts us off from our experience of being connected with God and therefore, His love; it puts a veil over the light that shines within us.

One more thing, convey love as an authentic extension of yourself. Love is the ability to give yourself unconditionally, knowing how amazing it makes you feel and how thankful you are for the people or person in your life. Love is an expression of yourself and an energetic connection. Love is all about you. It is what you put into the relationship, what you want out of it, and it is an expression of how much you love yourself. The energy of love exudes heaven. When you give love to others with grace and freedom, they will feel it.

I would like to tell my younger self what I’ve learned. But, without my mistakes and lessons, I wouldn’t be who I am now.

The time has come for you Charles to find your light, don’t squander time and go be a star. Be a light to others.”