THE HUMBLED MOON EXCERPT- A CHILDREN’S BOOK

There once lived the moon. You see it now, bright and distant, untouchable from where you now sit. You know its pale face, you know it’s pocketed reflection. But do you know the entire story of a moon that did not understand the world it lived among? Do you know the story of the Humbled Moon?

Ions ago, much longer than human minds can tell, and before names were given to things, Moon was born to an inky darkness, born alone and splendid. Moon shone with a glitter like a thousand diamonds, alive as though on fire. It banished darkness from its surrounding and Moon was so very proud. Each night he glimmered, and each night was his glory.

Moon did not mind rolling from inky darkness to the other side of his sky, and when he discovered another being had been born, he was blissfully happy. He shared his time of brightness with Sun, and there was a companionable existence between them. They were friends and left messages in the skies for the other to read, to enjoy, and to love.

But then things began to change. Another being came into life, this one lovely and complicated. This one with forever changing faces; sometimes stormy with anger and fear, other times alive with music and lush green hills. Sun lit up this other life, lit it with happiness and it was that her focus slowly drew away from the shadow of a being she had left messages for and instead fully focused on the glorious person she shared her days with. Earth.

Time passed, slow some nights, fast others. But Moon knew Sun had abandoned him. No more were the messages. No more where the lingering touches of warmth Sun would sometimes leave for him. The Moon never dimmed, never changed, and while he was happy for a time with himself as the star of his inky darkness, a desolate feeling began to take over. He was all alone. Earth turned dark and silent when he took to the skies, steadfast in ignoring him. And well it did at first bother him greatly, he simply found it was not the Earth he wanted, but something for himself.

One night, Moon had had enough. He began to weep, and his tears were so heavy and full that they brushed clean the diamonds, leaving broken pockets where once they had shined. But something magical happen, too. The glittering diamonds twirled out into his sky, surround him, lingering and working to banish that darkness that was his. And it was in this moment, as he began to clear his tears, that he heard a small voice that turned to many. “We love you, and we are here to share your glory.”