12.10~ NASA is still in business

It's Sunday night and the weekend is coming to a close quickly as it always does. The weekends here only consist of Sundays, so we do our best to make them count. 

Last night, we wandered around town and ended up playing truth or dare, minus the dare. I learned what my friends here would see if they could see anything. I learned what their most defining moments in their lives were thus far, and about the last time they cried. I was reminded that each person is so intricately deep and unique. Every one of these people has darkness in their past, a brilliant darkness that makes the light of their being stand out even more. Below the surface of each human is an unexplored little universe that longs to be discovered and understood.

Today, we went to Kennedy Space Center. We saw the site of the first American space launching, got up close to the Atlantis, (a REAL rocket ship!!), and watched some compelling IMAX movies in 3D, among many other fascinating activities. One movie showed footage of the earth from outer space. Seeing the illumination of the earth at night, city by city, was incredible. From space, there are no national borders or races or religions. All you can see is the glow of humanity, both a blessing and a curse. I actually cried when I realized how fortunate  it is to be a part of this planet, the only known planet in the universe to harbor life. I just so happened to end up as a part of that life. The realization of how vast everything is, how it all goes so far beyond ourselves, is completely magical. I feel as though I'm involved in something tremendously infinite. We limit ourselves to the sky, but there are worlds beyond this sky that we haven't even begun to understand. 

I'm thankful for today, I'm thankful to be here. As I get ready for bed right now,  I'm full of love and peace and a sense that everything will work out as it is supposed to. We are lucky enough to be alive, how insane is that? How wonderful is that? We are constantly surrounded by tragedy and heartbreak, but we are alive and that seems to trump every terrible thing. I can't even wrap my head around it. I will fall asleep tonight with images of the world from above, the alligators I saw in the creek, the fluorescent orange-purple-blue sunset on the way home, Wynn's head on my shoulder, and the starlit sky above us. 




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