A Constant Reminder

"Reach for the moon and if you miss, you'll land among the stars."

This quote hung up on my kitchen wall for as long as I can remember. It was etched onto a faded canvas in blotty calligraphy which was honestly quite funny. I just couldn't take it seriously. Those words just didn't make sense to me.

When I was in elementary school, I learned that some of the stars we see aren't there anymore. Light takes many years to travel to Earth and by the time it does reach Earth, it may have already died. However, the light emitted by the stars are still visible after its demise.

With this in mind, the cheesy quote on my kitchen wall seemed like a contradictory conundrum. If you miss the moon (your goal), you might still land among the stars. But if the stars were dead, what exactly did you accomplish?

Maybe I was just looking too deep into it. There was no reason to take the quote literally. It was merely meant to be inspirational.

When quarantine struck, I've had more time to think about it. Even in the context of dead stars, the quote was quite uplifting. The fact that we can witness the brilliance of celestial bodies after they burn out is inspirational. It constantly reminds us that in spite of our own burnouts, the efforts we make have a lasting impact on the world.

If you miss the moon, your efforts were not in vain. It may take some time for your light to show but eventually you'll get there. In fact, your light would shine even brighter after you overcome the trials and tribulations that burning out poses.

@Illumischild