I believe in stars. I believe in the shiny blanket of brightness that appears in the sky after a long day. I believe in the hopes and dreams that float into the sky after a shooting star has passed. I believe in the guidance stars can bring in a time of confusion or when you’re physically lost and the north star guides you home. I believe in the continuity that stars bring because everyone can lie down and feel the rough clumps of dirt on their back while the green blades of grass are tickling their neck as their eyes gaze up at the illuminating night sky. Every night at overnight camp I would lie on the athletic field gazing up at the stars. It was my escape from the day. It didn’t matter if it was a bad day or a good day, I would end it by looking up at the stars. The last day of camp I spent the whole night under the stars. Cuddled under the Northern Michigan blanket of light, hearing the screams of the thirteen year old campers and getting goosebumps when I felt the chill of the summer's night on my skin. I reflected on my summer and thought about the endless possibilities in life. The stars guided my thinking and allowed my imagination to run wild. The next night I was at home in suburban Chicago and the stars couldn’t be seen. I lay in my backyard under the empty sky and did exactly what I did the night before. I gazed into the night, and started thinking. There was a twinkle here and there but nothing big. It didn’t matter though. Because even if the stars couldn’t be seen, they were always there to guide me whenever I needed them.

The thing that intrigues me most about stars is that every single one of them is full of an endless amount of dreams and wishes. Every person has looked up into a starry night, closed their eyes, and made a wish on a star. This is because stars hold endless possibilities. We often believe that possibilities disappear. Like when you and your best friend just got into the fight of all fights and you’re crying under your covers, knees clenched to your chest, with your tears collected on the infinite number of tissues surrounding you. The possibility of ever finding another friend like this one seems impossible. But, when we gaze out our windows at the dark sky and see that slight twinkle of light, we know that there’s more out there. All human beings have an endless array of possibilities, they just may not always be visible. The band Coldplay summarizes stars perfectly when they sing, “look at the stars, look how they shine for you.” That’s exactly what stars are doing. They’re shining for each individual human-being. Their light is shining down on the people of the world and giving them hope. When stars are in a specific order they form constellations. Just like stars, after a while a work of art is formed of possibilities and they connect together to form a happy human being. I believe in stars because of the endless amount of hopes and opportunities they hold. They’re always there and form an illustration of beauty in the sky. Like stars, possibilities are all around us, and once they’re found, they create a life of happiness.

The world around us is forever changing. Next year I’ll be leaving for college and moving away into an unknown environment that is miles away from my home. When things get rough and I get lost in the fast pace college life I know I can look up and feel right at home. Stars are constant. No matter where you are in the world, or where you are in life, you can look up at the sky, and see the same stars that you saw in the place you were before. The hopes and dreams you left in one star will follow you wherever you go. The endless possibilities will only be a head lift and an eye gaze away. You’ll be able to lay under the same layer of light and let your mind run wild. The stars that once guided me on that chilled summer night and made me reflect on my incredible summer can follow me to college and guide me through my future endeavours. The reality is that stars are a million miles away but the hope, guidance, and opportunities they bring feel tangible. Your possibilities follow you wherever you go and are closer than most people may think. I believe in stars and their power because they are constantly surrounding us and are the same everywhere in the world. Everybody could be wishing on the same shooting star. And the wish could be granted closer to you than the stars in the sky.

There are people in the world who prefer a busy city full of fluorescent lights over an open field covered with bright stars. Electric lights don’t have the same stories as stars. They don’t hold an infinite history and don’t last over a billion years. Lights don’t hold the hopes and dreams of the inhabitants of earth and the people who came before us. People don’t escape to an open room covered with light bulbs to help them get through a rough time. Stars are the escape people go to because they offer a constant stream of possibilities. There is nothing like walking through a field of freshly cut grass after a hard day, and having the blades tickle the back of your legs and palms after lying down and sinking into the cold earth while your eyes widen in awe at the magical sky above you. Or that feeling of amazement and courage you get when you see that star shoot across the sky as you close your eyes and think of the perfect wish. Gaping into the night and into the blanket of stars to the endless possibilities you have in your life. All human beings have an endless amount of possibilities. They may not always be seen but they’re constantly there. Sometimes it just takes a night under the stars to notice them.