of space...

a word of congratulations to UKM Dr Sheikh Muszaphar on being Malaysia's first 'angkasawan'...
(heard a lot about this on the radio today - Hitz and Red fm)

i wonder what he's thinking about as he blasts off into space ... a little excited? maybe nervous? maybe he's thinking about his kuih raya and satay? i don't know. maybe all of the above.

but what i do know is that the vastness of the heavens and the brightness of the stars become even more perceivable up there. it's hard not to be humbled when one considers the width and breadth and depth of the cosmos.
more importantly, looking down and seeing the earth, its solidity, its realness...it's a place to land, and in the end, that was what mattered.

when i raise my eyes to the sky, after a long and hard day, or when i m feeling down, i see the twinkling points that comfort me ... even if there is no voice in reply, i know my prayers go somewhere and they are heard. sometimes it's not enough to convince me, but most times, i m just glad to be able to look up and feel that i am not alone.

the wind carried the whispered prayers,
light and loving, moving through the air,
into the hands of the Creator Lord, and
the stars brought the promise of light,
the strength, the courage to rise, take flight.

amen.