I stood outside under the clouds, a camera in my hands, and prayed for stars. It was a moment of clarity, as my eyes adjusted to the silence of the night.
I wasn’t sure what the universe had in store for me. Lately, it seems, she has been throwing continuous curve balls that hit me square in the face, leaving me flat on my ass, ready to stand up again, with no less enthusiasm than the moment before.
And it was in that moment when I realized, that despite the challenges and the bruises from these ever constant surprises, I was grateful.
I was grateful for my parents, who have supported me and sat back, letting me live my life but stepping in when the weight was too much.
I was grateful for my best friend, who was the first to fully accept me, and all my magnificent flaws, and who showed me what true friendship was, and is.
And I was grateful for everyone else too, those who had come in, and out, of my life. Staying for a few weeks, or staying for a few years, each of them had taught me another lesson in self love.
I stood underneath the dark prairie sky, praying for stars, but grateful for the clouds, and as I took deep breathes of crisp November air, I noticed the exact thing I had been hoping for.
A tiny patch of stars, above my head, peaking through for the camera I held at the ready.
Constellations surrounded by thick cloud, shining through to grace my little piece of world with their light.
And I accepted the message they brought with; the message that in the gloomy nights the universe was still present.
She’s just shrouded in cloud, holding her breath until you step back and look for the light. Even if you can’t see it, she waits for you to know it is there.
Because she sees the strength in you, because she put you on this path, under that patch of stars, to understand just something a little bit more about yourself.
