OTHER STARS

"Moonlit Cloud", oil,
by Takeyce Walter

Yesterday afternoon I found myself hoping the clouds would move off so stars would show at night, but then I thought of other more useful stars, those that are always shining, it seems. I have friends, for instance, who somehow find a way to share some light just when I need it, and I can sense their lit-up kindness even when they’re far away. Hopeful thoughts, too – even the smallest and slightest – can shimmer like stars, if I stay with them awhile and let their lights illuminate things for me. And then there are spoken words, those most evanescent of all forces, which can create hopeful light in a life faster than almost anything. Happily, I live with someone who sends out words that sparkle like starlit gifts, just when I can most use a little light in my usually lucky life.