The Stars Were Still Out

In my continuing series from our off-season beach vacation ….

It was now my fifth morning on the balcony.

I arrived early enough on this morning that it was still dark and the stars were visible. We often say, “The stars are out,” but truthfully they are always there. We just can’t see them unless it’s dark.

As I sat with coffee in hand, gazing at the beauty and listening to the surf, I was reminded of a FB post from a woman who had been in a dark place in her life and putting in great efforts to find her light. She was posting images from her family’s Christmas holiday including one that said, “Add this to the list of things I can do by myself.” In this case, it was building a fire.

This woman’s “stars,” i.e., the things she can do as she continues to discover her own strength, were discovered because of her darkest hours.

It reminds me of the time I taught myself to roller blade as a way out of my own dark place. Although I was more inclined to lay in bed with blinds shut and blankets over my head, life goes on, and that wasn’t an option. And so, one teeny tiny step at a time, (starting with, “Can I put my shoes on?”), I took myself to the river path and taught myself to roller blade. It became a constant for me during one incredibly difficult summer. And a way to discover my own stars.

There was also the time I had to put air in my tires with tears streaming down my face – a task I just didn’t want to do on my own. But it was necessary, and I did it. Maybe not the hugest of accomplishments except at the time, it was.

I could share more and more stories from my own life, my friends, my family, and my clients. But I know you have your own and you can insert those stories here, starting with, “I remember a time when ….”

Dark times in life are never fun. We wish we didn’t have to experience them.

But it’s in these darkest of times that we find our strength.

It’s in the dark that we can see the stars.