Today, when we look at the moon and the Earth, we see a beautiful relationship. The Earth faithfully orbits the Sun, reflecting the Sun’s light magnificently for the universe to see. The Sun gives us light and warmth with a promise to shine for a billion tomorrows. That, however, was not always the case.
For once upon a time the Sun and the Earth had a much different relationship. The Sun was angry; sending destructive flares outward into the cosmos. The Sun burned intensely as all young stars did, searing nearby planets and destroying all that came near him. The Sun became lonely, but still could not help himself as his heat and intensity caused all in the universe to avoid him. The Sun was a product of the explosion that created him, and he knew no better because he was just the Sun acting like the Sun he was created to be.
The Earth was peaceful and calm aside from the occasional temper tantrums and changes that came with experience. She steadily went about her business as she grew, becoming quite a stable planet as time went by. Objects from all over the cosmos were drawn to her, but eventually they collided with her and caused her great pain. She felt alone until one day she discovered the Sun.
Other planets had tried. Mercury came alone at the wrong time and got too close. She became a barren wasteland and laid to waste by the intensity of the sun’s heat. Venus too had tried, but she also got too close to the Sun’s youthful intensity. Other planets stayed further away, and while they were magnificent in the their own way they could not enjoy the benefit of the Sun, whom they feared. Those planets were cold and distant, and while beautiful they remained unable to enjoy the warmth.
The Earth was different. She loved the Sun. At first she was drawn to him by his size and intensity. The Sun also loved the Earth. He enjoyed her beauty and the way she she seemed to love him back. He didn’t feel threatened by her as much as he felt threatened by the memories of what brought him here, to this place and time. He did all he could to get her to stay away, yet their love would always draw them closer.
As she got closer to the Sun his intensity began to burn her. His flares would scorch her surface and she would show great pain. The Sun looked around the universe and saw places that would be much better for the Earth, and in this pain there would be another flare and more pain for the Earth. “Sun, I need you to end these flares or I will have to go away,” she would say. The Sun tried and tried, and soon the flares became less and less until they faded away.
“Sun, I need you to stop being so bright,” the Earth said. So the Sun tried and tried until his once blinding light became a faint glimmer. “I need you to be less hot,” said the Earth. So the Sun tried and tried until his once searing heat became more bearable to the Earth. Yet, as time went on, that one bright part of the universe became darker. The universe all around the Sun became a frigid wasteland. The stars shone less brightly, and even the moon went dark. Even the Earth herself became cold and bored as the Sun worked day and night to be, well, not the Sun.
One day the Sun just could not help it. He exploded with a fury, sending light far and wide around him. The moon shined, and the Earth became amazed at the beautiful universe around her she could only see as the Sun shined brightly. She looked at him and saw his absolute brilliance. She decided at that moment something that changed them both forever.
“Sun,” she said, “I want you to shine. I want you to be warm. I want you to be who you want to be.”
“But won’t that hurt you?” asked the Sun.
“You will be who you need to be and I will be who I need to be. We need to love each other as we are if we are ever going to survive in this place. You were created for a reason as was I, and we need to love that purpose as much as we love each other.”
The Sun understood, and in his appreciation and love shined just enough for the earth. During the day, she could bask in his his warmth and his light and at night she could see the beauty of the universe around her because of the light he was. As the Sun looked out upon the universe, he could see the coldness and the danger, but in his love he learned how to provide the right amount of light and warmth for the Earth. Every once in a while he would send out a flare to protect her, and she had even learned how to stay close to him even when he was simply being the Sun.
They had learned harmony through disharmony, love through egoic selfishness, peace through suffering. Soon, miraculous things began to happen. Life became abundant on the Earth. The Earth and the Sun together provided for these miracles; miracles born of the love shared between two unlikely things who allowed each other to be.
©2010 Thomas P. Grasso All Rights Reserved ☮ ℓﻉﻻ٥ ツ
