Stars

Darkness had fallen like a velvet curtain, covering the icy winter world in shadows. The moon was a mottled disk of soft, ambient light, gently pushing folds of night away as it rose steadily into the sky. Tiny sparks of light twinkled as stars poked holes into the curtain of darkness. White snow blanketed the frozen ground in waves, glowing gently under the moon's light as it cascaded up tree trunks and the walls of silent houses.

Flakes of new snow drifted through the air in between crisp winter breezes. A solitary figure gazed wonderingly at the beautiful night scene with inquisitive green eyes. A pale freckled nose was pressed against the foggy glass of their window, framed by two tiny hands. A giggle broke the peaceful silence and a flash of white teeth seemingly melted into the picturesque perfection outside.

It was a boy, risen from his bed as the rest of the world slept. His face filled with amazement as he stared upwards into the crystal clear sky. The stars seemed to glow brighter, speaking to the boy in softly spoken words. The boy slowly lifted a thin arm--as if to touch the stars--only to feel frozen glass. His fingers curled into a fist, and his grin turned slowly into a scowl.

"I wish I could touch the stars." His high-pitched voice rang throughout the room.

"There is too much space between us." The stars seemed to shine their reply.

"I hate space!" The boy whispered furiously.

Several flakes of frozen water were pushed into the window by a breeze. "Why" The wind asked.

"I want to hug my mother, but she doesn't live with me. I want to hold my baby brother, but he's with God now. I want to see God, but I don't know where Heaven is." The boy was getting was getting upset, wrapping his arms around his frail body. "I want to touch the stars, but they're all in the sky, and I'm down here."

The night sky shined with flickering white and yellow stars, and the boy thought they were all looking at him. "Distance gives you the chance to appreciate what you love."

"I can't even remember what my mother's arms felt like. Or what my brother looked like." The boy shivered, tears running down his cheeks. "My Dad says God loves us, and that we love him in return. But I've never seen him."

The stars quivered in understanding, consoling the boy with their light. "We are distant because we are too hot to touch. Sometimes the things we love must be distant. Sometimes we need to have faith in order to truly realize the depths of our emotions."

The winter wind whined against the glass, adding their voice. "I am not always here because I am too harsh to be felt at all times. Sometimes the things we love need to leave for a while, so you might appreciate them even more. Sometimes we need absence to understand the importance of the things we love."

Flurries of snow rose from the ground, forming vague figures. "I am not always here because nothing can grow under me. Sometimes the things we love need to be replaced by more important things. Sometimes we need to forgive and understand to make room for more things to love."

The moon rose further into the sky, shining directly onto the boy. "Sometimes change is hard, and sometimes we struggle to understand them. But change is necessary to live a fulfilling life, and the happiest people are the ones who learn to accept change.You are still learning. You still have your whole life to learn, love, and live. Do not focus on what was or what could've been, but rather what is and what can be."

The boy's tears had stopped, and he now looked at the night with determination. "I understand." He whispered into the darkness, moving away from the window to his bed. He wiped away his tears as he curled underneath his blanket. The warm embrace of sleep found him quickly, sheltering the boy from the cold world outside.