QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Night Painting, originally uploaded by stuttgart_san.

"So you lie there, holding your breath
And it's strange, how soon you forget
That you're like stars,
They only show up when it's dark,
Cause they don't know their worth."
-Anna Nalick, SHINE

I have felt invisible. I have felt that the only person who gets me is mom, and sometimes felt that no boy would love me if I knew how scared and shy I was inside. One of my favorite things to do, and always has been since I can remember, is to spend hours staring up at the speckled sky. As a teen, the stars were my friends-- I would look out through the window of my room and tune the world out, focusing only on the sky. All of those stars, the moon, the horizon--they reminded me that I was a tiny part of something bigger and it humbled me. These moments of solidarity in my life have always been a solace for my thoughts and dreams. I admire the boundless freedom of the night sky, and that during the day, you can just look up and know that all of it is there underneath the vale of sunshine---just hidden from view. It makes me smile.

It has taken me a long time to understand why I love the stars so much. Now, when I feel invisible or misunderstood, I look up and know that there is a star inside of me and it is my choice whether I let the world see it. I think about my amazing friends and how lucky I am that I get to see the stars that live inside of them. My friend who gets nervous at parties, but makes the best cupcakes I have ever tasted... My friend who is one of the best people I have ever met, but constantly worries that she is annoying... My friend who desperately wants to know her folks love her, but they never say it... Every day I am more thankful for the constellation of my friends, and know that together, we can all learn to shine.