The Night I Held the Universe in my Hands
Since moving to a small town in another country, I’ve been enchanted by a whirlwind of sights and sounds, so different from my life in the States. I love hearing the gravel crunching beneath our wheels of our beat up old 4×4 as we glide down winding country roads. The revving of moto conchos zips through the streets, often carrying two, three, even four people on a single motorcycle, like a circus performance. Each morning, the rooster crows with an impish glee, waking the world as if it delights in its role as the dawn’s herald waking the world without our permission. The sun beats down with merciless heat, making me sweat relentlessly, but the very much welcomed cold shower afterward feels like pure bliss. These little moments of relief come wrapped in gratitude, reminding me of the things I often take for granted.
I’ve encountered all these sights and sounds and more in my new life across the ocean, but my favorite moment was the other night when I gazed up at a clear sky filled with stars shining brilliantly. For the first time since I arrived a few months ago, the sky was clear enough to let the stars come out and play, like a curtain rising for a grand performance. I stared at those stars, glistening like one enormous jewel, as if they were drinking me in—there were so many of them! I closed one eye, cupped my hands together, and lifted them toward a cluster of stars, pretending to scoop them up. When I slowly lowered my hands, I swear I felt like I was cradling the entire universe in my palms.
Oh, how I believe God loves to play with us like this! That childlike wonder blooms when we let ourselves be free to play, to experience, to be enchanted. As I embrace my new life, I’m starting to think I was brought here for a second childhood. And I’m all in for it. So go on—I dare you to come out and play! Stare up at the stars tonight and try to catch the universe in your hands. I double dare you! Love S
Sherry Taveras 
