The Sun's Grand Journey

Once upon a time, living high above the sleeping planet in her preferred corner of a golden cloud palace was Sol, the young sun. Every morning, she would get out of her comfortable bed of warm light, a perfect circular nest of golden rays, that had been hers since she was born, and start her trip across the heavens just as her mother and grandmother had been doing, before her, since the beginning of times.

But this particular morning something felt different. Sol peeped over the eastern horizon and saw shadows darker than usual and areas of the globe beyond the reach of her light.

She whispered, "Something's wrong," to her friend, the Morning Star, just ending his night shift. "The world seems... heavier today."

It may need more than just your light. It sure deserves your tender affection." The Morning Star answered, with a glimmer, 

For this day only, Sol chose to descend nearer to the Earth rather than go through her usual daily sailing across the heavens. Her golden ray landed on a small village where no children ran in the streets and all the windows were closed tightly as she floated down.

"Why is everyone hiding?" she asked a small sparrow.

"They're afraid," the sparrow chirped. "They have lost their smile." Then he flew away from this gloomy place.

Though Sol felt her heart heavy, she knew what to do. She concentrated her softest, mildest rays on one window then another. Curtain gaps started to separate slowly. The face of a child showed wide wonder at the dancing light. Then still another face, and another.

As Sol slowly travelled westward, she found more locations needing her special attention. She came to a deep forest where no light reached the ground. She touched the tiny saplings, below the huge trees, by caressing the branches with her rays, like golden fingers. The little ones turned their branches to her, in gratitude and joy, getting more powerful every passing moment.

In a crowded city, Sol saw people sprinting past each other without looking, their faces down. She reflected herself in every window and puddle until the entire city glittered like a jewel. People started to look around for the source of their mood change, their expressions softening as they realised the beauty. A small girl in a red coat stopped to make her shadow dance on the pavement. Soon other children joined in, producing an impromptu shadow puppet show that made even the most austere businessman smile.

In a small canyon, across the snowed mountains, Sol found a lonely eagle caught between the icy rocks. His wings were strong, but fear had kept him grounded for so long he had forgotten how to soar. Sol softly heated the surrounding air to produce thermal currents lifting beneath his wings. The eagle first hopped, then glided a few feet, but with Sol's patient encouragement, he finally opened his wings wide and caught the warm rising air. They moved across the canyon together, the happy cries of the eagle resonating off the rocks.

In a meadow, devastated by a drought, Sol discovered some parched butterflies and dying flowers. She could not make it rain; that was not her gift; yet she could assist in other ways. She concentrated her heat on a patch of morning dew, transforming it into a rising vapour that gathered into a tiny cloud. The cloud floated across the grass, dousing the parched vegetation with priceless drops of water. Rising from flower to flower, the butterflies caught Sol's light in rainbow patterns.

Near the equator, she encountered some lost sea turtle hatchlings who had strayed from their ocean. Sol positioned herself so that her reflection on the lake formed a golden road to lead them home. One by one, the small turtles trailed her shimmering path back to the waves, their little flippers imprinting star-shaped patterns on the sand.

As she watched the turtles paddle off, Sol turned to see a small girl playing on the shore. The youngster was gathering shells and challenging the waves, as they came in and went out. When she saw how Sol's light made the shells sparkle, she held up her most unique discovery, a perfect spiral shell that shimmered with every colour of the rainbow. Standing on her tiptoes and holding the shell as high as she could, the small child yelled, "This is for you, Sun! Thanks for making everything so beautiful!"

Even though Sol would pass over that beach, every day, this day, her heart warmed, as she lightly stroked the shell with her ray and the shell glowed like a small star. She made a mental note to herself to keep on creating these rainbow colours of the shell that would show up in the sky, producing what humans would later refer to as "sun dogs," tiny patches of rainbow light dancing in the heavens.

Moving on, Sol found a gathering of creatures huddled for warmth on a frozen lake. Sol dipped lower in the heavens, melting a patch of ice just sufficient to form a drinking hole. Gratefully the animals gathered around it, while a small deer raised her head to nuzzle her warm ray.

As the day progressed, Sol's light left a lingering warmth wherever it touched. Youngsters started to play in the local, previously dark, streets. Flowers pushed through city sidewalk cracks, vying for her attention. Even the forest critters came out to dance in the sunbeams.

Still, the most amazing shift occurred in the shadows themselves. Now, they were neither terrifying nor heavy. They had turned into faithful friends, companions to her light, producing exquisite designs that enhanced the beauty of everything.

As evening arrived, she felt tired but content. Another day of hard work had come to an end. Sol approached her golden palace once more. The Night Sky had already covered the glove with its dark blue blanket, adorned with the first evening stars.

The Night Sky grinned and waved "Welcome home. I saw you have been busy today."

Sol turned to trace back to her journey across the planet. She could see the afterglow of her path in the faces of the people staring up at the sunset, in the peaceful sighs of the forest, and in the soft lapping of the recently melted lake even as darkness fell.

Sol murmured, "I learned something today," as she curled into her cloud bed. "Sometimes the world requires more than just light moving through. It needs the light that pauses to touch, listen, and show concern.

The Night Sky nodded in wisdom. "And tomorrow?"

Sol grinned and was already looking forward to the new day. She considered all the locations she had not yet visited: the secret gardens just waiting to bloom, the deep valleys where echoes needed warmth, and the lighthouses able to use a friend to shine. She considered the eagle flying free, the butterflies dancing in the meadow, the baby turtles swimming in the sea, and every new friend she had made today. She was looking forward to making some new friends the following day. "Tomorrow I'll do it all again, but different places, different shadows. There is always a place that requires some additional illumination, " she concluded.

Sol slid back to her designated corner of the palace, to that same circular nest of golden rays where she had awakened that morning. Now, though, something felt different as she curled into her familiar bed. The same clouds that had seemed normal at sunrise now gleamed with the memories of all the happiness she had brought about over the day.

She curled up in her ideal round bed, exactly where she had begun her trip, but she was no more the sun who had dawned that morning. She was warmer inside, fuller somehow, shining not just with her inner light but also with the delight of knowing she had changed things.

The world below glittered with innumerable tiny lights as she drifted off to sleep: lanterns in windows, campfires under the stars, and the cosy glow of homes where people gathered together, exchanging tales about the day the sun came down to perform.

And if you pay close attention to any given day, you can see Sol, especially focusing on a location that requires a little more love, warmth, or illumination. She has already discovered that her shining can bring the best out of the grumpiest creatures on earth.

The End