“When I was younger, I would often go outside into my yard and lay on the grass. I would stay there for god knows how long, and gaze up at the moon and the stars…especially the stars. I always thought they were beautiful; the way they were surrounded by total darkness and still able to shine so bright- I thought they were amazing.

Often times my dad would see me in the lawn, but he would never come out and disturb me. It was as if he knew that those few moments I spent gazing up at the night sky were special, that laying out there was my time to be able to forget everything that was going on in my life- good or bad- and stare into empty space without a care in the world. I felt…so free. Free to laugh, free to cry, free to dream. Free to think about who I really am and not what others perceive me to be. I know myself the best, so I shouldn’t waste time worrying about what others think.

Yet sometimes all they say really bugs me. They want me to go down the safe path- to have a comfortable life, a well paying job, and a nice home. But what does all the money matter if I’m not happy? They say I take risks; well so what? So what if I do things the harder way when I could take the simple path. Sure if something’s simple it’s a lot easier, but it’s boring! That path is the one everyone takes and ends up in the same place. I want to take a chance, no matter how bizarre, and try to do things the way I want to! My way may be harder, but it’s more rewarding in the end. I’ll take the challenge, and with it the possibility of accomplishing my dreams. Other people may not believe in me, but I believe in myself.”

“And I believe in you.” Those were the first words that came out of the boy who had been lying next to her. The girl’s eyes shifted from the sky to the boy’s face. She smiled as their eyes met.
“There will be people who want to put you down, but don’t listen to them. They’re just jealous you can do something they can’t. He placed a kiss on her forehead, and tightened his arm around her. The girl cuddled closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder.

There was a brief silence between them. Both lay beneath the sky on that warm summer night, bound in each other’s arms. A crisp breeze gently rattled the leaves in the trees, which began to whistle in perfect harmony. Soon the grass joined in on the song. Its swaying caught the girl’s attention, and her fingers ran through the blades that were still damp from the afternoon’s rainfall.
“Sometimes I’m scared though. There are all these things I want to accomplish, but there are times when I think it all seems impossible.”

“Whatever happened to you thinking nothing’s impossible?” The gentleness of the boy’s words was the final component of the song that had gushed into the air.

“I know,” the girl sighed. “But I don’t really want to be in a situation where I’m so close to achieving my dreams, and then something happens, and I just lose it all.”

“You can’t lose it all.” The boy had turned his head around to stare at the girl. His mouth had formed itself into a smile, and even his eyes twinkled with happiness.

“What do you mean?” The girl propped herself up on her elbow and looked the boy squarely in the face.

“Me! You can’t lose me! I’ll always be there for you, no matter what.”
Smiling the boy leaned forward and planted a kiss on the girl’s nose.

“I love you,” she said smiling.

“I love you too. And you know what?”

“What?” The girl leaned her head back on his shoulder.

The boy took hold of the girl’s hand, and with his other hand pointed up into the sky. “See that? That’s the North Star. It has helped many people who were lost to find their way back home. Well that’s me. But I won’t just be your guide. I’ll also be your home.”