When I was a little girl I would lay on my back in the freshly-cut grass, smelling the juices from each sheared-off blade. As I looked up into the sky I would watch the clouds being buffeted by the gentle breeze as shapes were formed. Look! There’s an elephant – or a horse – or a dinosaur – a school bus or a train? The puffy clouds would change before my eyes. Sometimes a strong gust would scatter the pieces across the sky, leaving perhaps only a jet trail behind.

Just tonight I lay back in my spa, gazing at the night sky. I had seen the moon, crisp and white, with dark shapes defining its face. At this moment I can almost envision its trail as it rambled across my view, changing colors as it flew to the southwest, settling into the atmosphere: a rich deep orange as it mirrors the sunset. For just an instant I look away. Then it too, has dipped behind the mountains for the night. Or has a gust of wind splintered it into a million pieces?
As I turn my eyes downward, I am drawn into a swirling light show of white, blue, even a hint of orange. My heart begins to leap…then crashes again with disappointment. This is no magical collection of moon crumbs: just city lights below.

I lift my eyes higher to where the moon once reigned. Now darkness is all I see. Wait! A star twinkles and is joined by another. More appear as I continue to scan the darkening sky. Could I possibly count them? One, two, three, now there is a clump of four: that makes seven. Six more spiral out. Perhaps I have seen twenty. Oh, that bright star must be the North Star! Thirty, thirty-five. I crane my neck. I’ve counted forty. Oops, I have lost count and must start again.

Shapes are forming, similar to those I saw when I was a child as I pondered the clouds. Will that enable me to make a more accurate count? No, I cannot calculate all I see as the darkness diminishes and the stars keep popping out over my head and my shoulders and my neighbor’s house…More appear than I have ever noticed before. I feel myself lifted up into this twirling, sparkling vision. As I get closer, I see they are not actually shapes: a road map of sorts. Dare I reach out to step on one? Do I believe they are tangible? I’m following them now. Could these be cosmic directions leading me to a magical place?

Are you willing to join me on my journey?