Why Are There Stars

WHY ARE THERE STARS I offer this fantasy on the existence of stars. Once upon a time, long, long ago, a young man was smitten with a young lady in his town. But, as fate would have it, he lived on one side of the tracks and she on the other. The tracks served as an imaginary line of separation and he dared not cross it. He dreamed of one day being able to share his feelings to her and convince her to develop the same feelings for him. Try as he might, he had a hard time coming up with an idea that he felt was suitable. Then one summer evening while lounging on the beach, he suddenly picked up a handful of sand and flung it skyward with the admonition that they become a beacon that would draw her attention. Alas, to his dismay, the sand just fell back onto the beach and got washed away by the next wave. Discouraged, the young man started home to silently dream some more. As he walked through the little group of trees near his house, he noticed the twinkling of lightning bugs in huge numbers. After all, it was that time of year. Immediately, the idea was formed in his mind as to what he could do with as many as he could catch. He hurriedly retrieved a huge mason jar from his pantry and began to collect the easily caught bugs. When his jar was filled with these amazing little bugs, he knelt down and speaking softly to the jar he uttered the following --- Into the sky I send you, far up into the heavens. Please shine your brightest and catch the attention of the girl of my dreams --- He then released them into the night and moments later witnessed a spectacular display of brightly shining lights high above. These are now the stars that attracted the girl on the other side of the tracks and she sought to discover how they came into being. Her search led her to the man who had for so long dreamed of meeting her. She inquired of him if he knew what caused this great phenomenon. He told her of his intense love for her and she became so enamored by his story that they eloped, got married, and lived happily ever after. 10 June 2018 For the contest sponsored by Julia Ward