A Star’s Guide To Being Human

By

Danielle Kardum

Once there was a very lonely skeleton who lived in a very vast desert. The skeleton’s name was not important for they could be anyone like you or I. Because the skeleton had no one to talk to it would often look up to the stars and wonder, “Is there anyone out there like me? Is there anyone else looking up to these same stars?”

One night when the skeleton was feeling especially sad and alone it thought perhaps I could speak to the stars. Perhaps the stars could answer my questions.  “What is this life? What is my purpose? Who am? Who am i meant to be?”

And then there was a magnificent light. One of the stars had heard the skeleton and began to shine brightly to show that it was listening.

The star responded, “Why hello friend. I hear you. I see you!” and it beamed as it spoke.

The skeleton replied, “I feel so lost and alone. Do you know my purpose? Do you know who I should be?”

The star responded, “Be brave friend!  Be courageous! Stand up for what is right! For what you believe in! Stand up for those who cannot stand. Stand up when you are afraid and when you have lost hope.” and with that the start gave the skeleton a pair of sturdy human feet and legs.

The star continued to beam as the skeleton received the gift.

The star then said, “Be honest skeleton. Remember to speak your truth. Remember to have integrity, to look deep inside and speak from what you feel.”

And then the star gifted the skeleton a torch to light the path to truth and  a set of human lips to speak it.

The skeleton accepted the gift and promised to be honest.

The star shone brightly and said, “Be helpful. Help those who cannot help themselves. Show kindness to others as you would wish them to show to you.”

The star then gifted the skeleton 2 human arms and 2 human hands to help and hold others.

The skeleton took these arms and hands and continued to look up to the stars.

“Be curious” said the star. “Continue to pursue knowledge and the truth. Never be ashamed to ask questions. Continue to learn.”

The star sent the skeleton a pair of human eyes and eye glasses so that it could look beyond.

The skeleton accepted the gift and the star glimmered.

“Be creative” said the star. “Use your imagination and create new stories, new works of art, new music, new ideas, new solutions and new life.”

The star gifted the skeleton with a guitar, paint, pencils, and paper.

The skeleton received the gift and star sparkled in the night sky.

The star then said, “Be compassionate. Be empathetic. Try to understand others and experience their feelings. Recognize the suffering in the world and remember that not everyone shares the same burden or struggle. All beings are perfectly imperfect. This will help you to forgive others and to forgive yourself.”

And then the star sent the skeleton a human heart.

The skeleton gazed at their gifts with love and awe and a tear rolled down their face.  The skeleton promised to be brave, courageous, honest, helpful, kind, curious, creative, compassionate and empathetic.  But the skeleton still appeared sad. “What is it?” asked the star.  “Why still so sad friend?”

“You have taught me how to be,” said the skeleton.  “but I still do not understand my purpose.”

“Your purpose” said the star, “your purpose is to be human”.