The universe is the first thing that comes to mind when I consider the glorious nature of what I can perceive. The sun and earth are next in the hierarchy, followed by the environment around me. To get out and bask under this glow is easily forgotten when we are consumed by entertainment beamed into our homes and various electronic devices. We’ve never met a sunrise that failed to impress us, nor have we been less than dazzled looking up on a clear night to see with our own eyes the vast Milky Way we’ll never fully comprehend. I’ve never assumed that the configuration of the clouds on any given day is a repeat of any other day in my life or the history of the planet, but what do I think about the stellar clouds of the massive band of stars that stretch deep into history?

Just like the palm fronds that rustle in the wind and then settle back into nearly the same place, I should consider the almost invisible shift of all the matter, dark matter, and various gasses out beyond our solar system. We are, after all, moving at 515,000 mph here in our corner of the Milky Way, and from one night to the next, we have traveled 12,360,000 miles, and while our eyes are not sensitive enough to recognize the difference, in some way, maybe we are presented with new configurations that are nearly as significant as how the clouds change from day to day here on our puny but glorious planet.

The moral of this story: Never go outside thinking it’s just another day. You are alive in a vibrant universe of constant change, and for the briefest of moments, you are here to witness the contrast of things you barely comprehend.