{"id":122,"date":"2021-02-07T16:28:25","date_gmt":"2021-02-07T16:28:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bexroden.com\/?p=122"},"modified":"2023-01-26T02:27:36","modified_gmt":"2023-01-26T02:27:36","slug":"starless-nights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bexroden.com\/?p=122","title":{"rendered":"Starless Nights"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

“Can you see them, Bee?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“See what, Grandpa?” she asked\u2014the gentleness, beauty, and grace of a wistful butterfly encapsulated in the image of this little, wonder-filled girl. Her dark brown hair was almost in a ponytail; small strands stood up and out like many eager hands at show-and-tell. With big, purple glasses outlining her bright brown eyes she looked up at her grandfather; an expression of utter confusion and trust covering her sweetly innocent face. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The stars, Bee.” He replied looking back at her with a profound smile. He then tilted his head up to the sky to embrace the view. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Grandpa, there are no stars tonight,” she said softly, matching his upward gaze to ensure she hadn’t missed them. Bee had taken note in her observant mind of the sense of rain all around her\u2014the smell, the engulfing moisture, and the touch of wet grass on her open-sandled toes. “There are only clouds tonight, Grandpa,” she concluded after a moment of thoughtful examination. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Ah.” Her grandfather paused for a moment. “I have something to tell you, Bee. Come with me.” He took her little hand in his and led her to a damp bench under a willow tree in the back of the house. The stillness of the pond gave the moment a serene, dream-like sensation. He removed the jacket from his shoulders and laid it out across the base of the bench. “There you are,” he said, as he lifted her up and set her softly on the bench. He sat down beside her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“What is it, Grandpa?” she finally asked after a few minutes of gentle silence between them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“There was once a little owl,” he began. “Now, you see, this owl was very happy. Every night he would wake up and look out at the bright star-filled sky, and wonder would fill his heart. This wonder brought him joy and peace to make it through each night. Without fail, the stars shined brightly for him every time. He felt comfort in their presence. He never had a reason to doubt that they would be there for him when he woke. He was always<\/em> certain of their presence in the bright sky.” Bee watched intently as her grandfather relayed his story; her brown eyes reflecting the house lights behind them and sparkling with every blink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“One night, however, the little owl awoke to something he had never known before.” Her grandfather paused; a glimmer growing in his eyes. “Once again, he perched on the faithful branch\u2014the place he perched every night; but this night was not like the others.\u201d He looked at Bee with an earnest expression. \u201cThe stars were nowhere to be seen. They were gone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow could they be gone, Grandpa?\u201d Bee asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell,\u201d he replied, \u201cwhat did you observe tonight?\u201d he asked, smiling and tapping her playfully on the head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey aren\u2019t gone tonight; they are just hiding behind the clouds.\u201d She said softly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat is exactly right, Bee.\u201d He said with a hopeful quiver in his voice. \u201cThe stars never did disappear, but they were covered by the clouds of a stormy night.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat did the little owl do? Bee asked eagerly. \u201cDid he find out that the stars were still there, but only hiding?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her grandfather paused for a moment of thought in which he gazed at the still pond water in front of them. He then continued, \u201cThe little owl was very afraid. He had never known a night without the stars, and he didn\u2019t know that they were just hiding behind the clouds. He thought they were gone\u2014without a trace. He heard the thunder and saw shadows jump out at him in bursts of light; he had never been in a storm before.\u201d Her grandfather\u2019s voice heightened and then stopped. After a brief pause, he continued softly, \u201cThe owl\u2019s life was always filled with joy and peace, comfort and wonder; but now he didn\u2019t feel any of these sensations. He felt scared and terribly depressed inside; lost and hopeless.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh Grandpa! Did someone tell him the stars were still there even though he couldn\u2019t see them?\u201d She interrupted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, no.\u201d He replied. \u201cThe little owl had to learn it on his own.\u201d He looked lovingly at Bee for a moment, and then continued. \u201cAfter the storm passed, the little owl went back outside. His perch had been blown away in the storm, so he found a different one, higher up in the tree, which gave him a new vision of the woods that he had never before seen. That night he looked up at the sky\u2014still with sadness in his heart for what was lost. The stars were still gone. He didn\u2019t know if they would ever come back and shine into his life again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“What happens next, Grandpa?\u201d Bee asked to break the pensive silence her grandfather had brought about once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He looked back at her eager face, and smiled slightly. \u201cHe gazed up at the sky once more with his tear-filled eyes. Right as the little owl had surrendered all hope of seeing them again and of feeling their comfort, there was a break in the clouds and he caught a glimpse of one small star! Just for a moment and then the cloud moved over it again. Immediately, a rush of hope filled his little heart. It was in this moment that he understood the stars were not gone\u2026\u201d his voice grew gentler as he leaned in closer to Bee. \u201cHe just couldn\u2019t see them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grandfather took Bee\u2019s hands in his and turned toward her on the bench. He looked at her precious face. His eyes filled as he beheld the sweet countenance that he had grown to love over the six years of her life. Tears fell from his eyes and into his lap as Bee looked up at him, gripping his hands even tighter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He continued, \u201cIt was this understanding that allowed the joy and peace, comfort and wonder in the owl\u2019s heart to remain\u2014even when he could not see the stars.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just then, there was a break in the clouds, and the brightest star reflected in the pond water before them. Bee caught sight of it and excitedly tapped her grandfather on the leg, pointing in its direction. They followed its line up to the sky where it shone on them for just a moment until a thick grey cloud rolled over and covered it once again. Grandfather pulled her in close with his strong arm around her shoulder; her head reaching only the middle of his chest. She stretched her little arm across and gripped the far side of his shirt, pulling him close as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo, Bee\u2026can you see them?\u201d He asked once more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo Grandpa, I really can\u2019t see them.\u201d She said, her voice slightly muffled in his thick cotton shirt. \u201cBut I know they are there.\u201d She finished softly and looked up at him with a tender smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They sat together for a moment more in silence and sweet love for one another, holding each other tightly and gazing out at the pond. From the house came mother\u2019s bedtime call, so grandfather led her back with a steady hold of her little hand. He smiled at his daughter who knelt down, giving Bee bedtime instructions to which she responded with a youthful nod. Bee gave her grandfather one last hug before running in and up the stairs to her bedroom to dress, wash, and wait in bed for her mother\u2019s finishing touch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bee\u2019s mother stood up and hugged her father. \u201cDid you tell her?\u201d she asked, looking up at him with her arm still around his waist; tears welling in her own eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe\u2019ll be ready.\u201d He replied. \u201cIf it becomes unbearable, just remind her to look up at the stars. She will know what to do.\u201d He looked down at his daughter\u2019s face and smiled a painful and beautiful smile. \u201cI love you, sweetheart. Don\u2019t ever forget that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next day, Bee awoke to an absence she had never known before. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“Can you see them, Bee?” “See what, Grandpa?” she asked\u2014the gentleness, beauty, and grace of a wistful butterfly encapsulated in the image of this little, wonder-filled girl. Her dark brown hair was almost in a ponytail; small strands stood up and out like many eager hands at show-and-tell. With big, purple glasses outlining her bright…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[23,25,24],"class_list":["post-122","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-short-stories","tag-childrens-story","tag-grief","tag-loss"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bexroden.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bexroden.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bexroden.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bexroden.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bexroden.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=122"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/bexroden.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":673,"href":"https:\/\/bexroden.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122\/revisions\/673"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bexroden.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=122"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bexroden.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=122"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bexroden.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=122"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}