Finding our Constant

Image from https://www.farmersalmanac.com/polaris-north-star-27637

Due to the time change, my morning walk is back in the dark for a few weeks. As I started around my neighborhood recently, I noticed the Big Dipper prominently in the sky. As a child I was told that the two stars on the right side of the cup of this constellation point to the North Star. I suppose I have looked at this alignment thousands of times over the years. It hasn’t changed. With so much in my life and in the world swirling in chaos, I find great comfort by focusing on those stars.

When the uncertainty and challenges of the days begin to weigh heavily on us, it helps to remember what the constants are that ground us. While this may sound contradictory, our constants can differ for each of us. How do we determine what is unchangeable for us? Like the Big Dipper, what things in our lives remain the same over time?

For me, my North Star is love. I define love to be a commitment to the good of the other. In every situation in my life, when I focus on what is a loving thing to do, I find a meaningful path forward. When I orient my day around love, just like using the stars to point me in the right direction, I find a sense of peace and a firm foundation.