We are not above nature.

We coexist with nature.

We are nature.

Our physical bodies are small specks existing where the earth meets the sky and the ocean surrounds us. You arrived at a time when I needed you most, my guiding star and protector, leading me out of the darkness with your love, your light, your kind words and sparkling heart.

The grass glistens with moisture as the sun peaks its first shining rays over the earth. The darkness of night slowly fades, as light appears yet again, never once failing us.

For with each ray of light, with each rising of the sun, there is a new day.

The clouds glide ever so effortlessly through the sky, pushed along by the gentle breeze of the air around them. The flowers begin to open their precious petals to display what they have kept hidden from the darkness of night. The sound of the birds greeting the sun can be heard amongst the whisper of the leaves.

The rising of the sun brings with it a new day, a chance for new beginnings, perhaps a new dream.

Hours pass and the sun peaks at its highest point, spreading its light across the ground. The earth shines with beauty, with colour, with light, and suddenly, I realize you weren’t just a star to me; you were the whole sky.

It is a difficult thing to be someone’s sky, to shine so brightly in their eyes that their own sparkle dies. Your own soul knew that I was a star who needed you for a part, but not for a lifetime—because every star deserves to shine.

The birds spread their wings and soar overhead, creating their own trail in the warm air. Hours pass as the sun begins to droop its eyelids. Where before a blue sky rested, pink hues begin to spread such brilliant colors.

A time to feel alive and grateful and blessed for all that is. Not to feel like a tiny speck in a vast universe, but to feel immensely significant, because you are a star of the the universe, in both bones and soul.

The toughest thing was letting you go, setting you free to trail your destiny on the universe, to shine your brightness in someone else’s life.

But letting go means coming to the realization that my past is not my destiny. Because within me lie galaxies made of stardust, ready to shine brighter than ever before.

The hues of orange surrounding the sun chase the pink and fade, falling over the edge of the horizon. The first precious star can be seen in the darkening sky: A shining light reminding us of what was and what is yet to come.

As light becomes darkness, the sky is speckled with the distant brightness of twinkling stars—the beacons of souls still alive, twinkling and sparkling, attracting our attention.

And suddenly, their sparkle catches my eye, and I see them for what they really are. I know from somewhere deep inside that they are the souls who have touched my heart in this life.

Those shining lights are not limited to just those who have passed, but of those who have simply left their sparkle upon my heart.

Because once upon a time, you were the whole sky, but now you are just another star in my universe, trailing your own brightly lit path.

Stars: the shining lights that bring us a glimmer of hope, strength, and love. Most of all, they leave us feeling just a little bit lighter, for they remind us that the sun will once again rise, and bring with it another day to shine with life and love, ready to blaze our own fire amongst the night skies.

Because without darkness, we cannot have light. And I have come to realize the light I have been looking for has always been within.

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Author: Ashleigh Smart
Image: Author’s own; Ian Burt/Flickr
Editor: Callie Rushton
Copy Editor: Danielle Beutell
Social Editor: Yoli Ramazzina