While visiting Florida, I had the rare opportunity to sit outside one evening and just relax. Lying on a chaise lounge, I stared at the sky while being serenaded by a frog and insect symphony. With the moon in the Waxing Gibbous phase, the night was fairly bright but I could still see a vast array of stars scattered across the sky. To describe the scene as “wonderful” does not really do it justice, but it comes pretty close. As all the tension drained from my mind and body, I began to consider the incredible number of stars it took to create the masterpiece before me. With so many brilliant points of light hanging above my chair, it was difficult to remember that each one was unique. Some shone more brightly than others while others were harder to see. Many gave a steady, constant light while others seemed to get dim and then brighter again. Some even seemed to be dancing around slightly instead of standing still.
Just for fun, I decided to pick one star and focus on it for a while. It wasn’t the brightest star in the sky, or one that made up a constellation – not that I know much about constellations. This star was pretty much alone in its corner of the universe. It took more effort than I thought it would to focus my attention on that one little star, but I was able to do it. Sometimes the brilliance of other stars would catch my attention and I would have to refocus to see my star. After staring at that one star for a while I looked away. When I looked up again, something amazing happened: my eyes went right back to that one particular star. I soon noticed that my star wasn’t alone, randomly occupying a place in space. It was the center star in a group of five, arranged like the dots on the dice my granddaughter had been playing with earlier in the day. As strange as it seems, I began to make a personal connection with that little star.
As I so often do, I began to think about how there is a lesson to be learned from my experience with that star. Every day, we are surrounded by people who are as unique and individual as the stars in the night sky. Most of the time we just see people, not individuals. On occasion, one person may stand out from the crowd due to some specific action or trait, but for the most part we only see the crowd. It requires effort and focus if we want to get to know someone as an individual. We have to avoid distractions and concentrate on that person to find out what makes him or her unique. If you don’t believe me, try picking out a single face in the crowd the next time you are at a ball game or concert. Try to look at only that person. Trust me, it won’t be easy. However, after you have truly seen that individual, you will be able to look away and then look back to that person. You will be able to pick them out again, just like my eyes would go back to that one little star in the night sky. Why? It is because you have now made a personal connection with that person, even though it is from a distance.
It has been a while since I connected to an individual star on a random night in Florida, but the memory of it is still with me. It has become a mental souvenir of my vacation, a treasure that I can keep with me for the rest of my days. Whether it knows it or not, that tiny star is special. How much richer would each of our lives be if, every day, we found a way to make a personal connection with at least one other person? With a little effort, we can make one person in the universe special, a treasured mental souvenir to carry with us into the future. She may be the waitress with sore feet bringing our lunch, or the mother trying to herd her kids through the grocery store. Maybe he’s the guy at the bank, or just a face in the crowd. Whoever it may be, I challenge you to find your Star today.
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