Fly Me to the Moon
“Fly me to the moon
Let me play among the stars
Let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars”
Dear Friends,
In space news this week, NASA has selected the new group of astronauts for the Artemis II mission. The new crew is making the rounds of news and talk shows and they have lots of interesting information to share.
According to NASA’s website, “These explorers represent the best of humanity, daring to forge new frontiers in space on behalf of humanity.”
Wow! Quite the job description. I like that humanity is exploring space again. I like that we’re working together, across national borders, to do something significant – something that can have an impact on what we know and how we think. This is monumental.
But when you listen to these four explorers talk, you get a different perspective. While they’re doing something big, they still seem so grounded.
Christina Koch, Mission Specialist, described the Overview Effect. She said that when she’s looking back down towards Earth from space, “You see the Earth as it exists with the whole universe…and when you’re on the dark side of the Earth, you actually see a very thin green line that shows you where the atmosphere is. And what you realize is: every single person that you know is sustained and inside of that green line and everything outside of it is completely inhospitable. You don’t see borders; you don’t see religious lines or political boundaries. All you see is Earth and you see that we are way more alike that we are different.”
She’s right. We’re all here together on this one small planet in the middle of a vast universe and galaxies that surround us. We need each other and we need to support each other.
So while those intrepid astronauts are circling the moon and learning about the secrets of the universe, those of us that are earthbound can represent the best of humanity as well. We can take smaller steps to make our world a better place. A smile, a kind word, a thoughtful act.
It doesn't have to be big to have a monumental impact.
Please join me on your mat.
Love among the stars,
Nina G