Remember to Look Up

The Orionids Meteor Shower is happening this morning.  It's just about over, because the dawn is approaching.  However, as we are all up long before dawn in this house, I was able to see four today, three yesterday and two the day before.  It's truly jaw-dropping and humbling to see this happen.  Haley's Comet swings by during this time every year and leaves in it's wake debris and meteors that appear to us as falling stars.

It is no wonder human beings used to look up at the stars and imagine that the Earth was the center of the Universe.  It is no wonder we thought everything moved around us.  The Sun appears to circle us.  The stars change, depending on the season.  And, when there is a meteor shower, it truly looks like the stars are falling towards the earth.  It is magical and powerful.

Some people think, the more you learn about science, the less wonder there is in the world.  I think it's just the opposite.  The more we learn, the more we realize there is to understand.  When we discover one thing, we uncover more mystery, not less.  It is the mystery that is so fascinating.

Each human being learns about the mysteries that have already been solved, according to his ability and desire.  Each child learns what his parents can teach him, and what his teachers can tell him.  He reads and comprehends at his level and he can only KNOW what he chooses to know, based on the opportunities that have been afforded to him, and the ones he chooses to pursue of his own volition.

It is the thirst for knowledge and our innate curiosity that must be cared for and carefully tended.  It is our responsibility, to ourselves and to our children, to give them the keys to the world.  We expose them to as many things as we can, and then see where their interests lie.  Right now, my older son is deeply moved by space, technology and science.  These are all very interesting to me, but I almost forgot how much.  In our adult lives, we often forget to learn just for fun.  We learn for our college degrees, our professions and our vocations, but we forget to allow ourselves to be curious and discover the world around us on our own terms.

This is what I never want my boys to forget.  It's the thrill of learning something new, of discovering what was once clouded in mystery.  Fortunately, my little boys are hungry for knowledge and new experiences.  We stood outside in our pajamas this morning, while the neighborhood slept and the stars were bright in the sky.  They huddled close to me to keep warm and pointed out every blinking twinkle in the heavens.  We imagined what it would be like to travel to these distant planets, suns and galaxies.  We talked about the great distance between us and the stars.  We talked about how long it would take to reach even the closest stars.  We talked about the speed of light and the fact that many of the stars we see don't even exist anymore.  We are simply seeing their light, which took so long to get to us.

They stared.  They waited.  They didn't see any meteors this morning.  Soren was disappointed because I had seen so many and he wasn't able to.  I explained that we will have many more opportunities to see other showers.  We will plan better the next time, dress warmly, put chairs in the backyard and wait.

It was a fantastic way to start the day.  Gazing at the stars feels deeply human and profoundly spiritual.  The stars are always there.  You just have to remember to look up.