It’s a strange thing, buying or receiving gifts when somebody passes. I always thought this to be the case. Having been on the receiving end of everything from flowers, to wine, to photo frames (all of which were incredibly thoughtful and appreciated), there are two gifts received that keep on giving. Today’s post is about the one that I reflect on a nightly basis.
I am a bit of a wonderer and for a long time I have marveled at looking at the stars. It is one of my favourite things to do at night. I think it stems from my younger years where the family would go camping and the spread of the stars across the night sky was a talking point in the evening around the fire. My dad always had interesting titbits about the stars and I often refer back to his comment that “you know there are more stars in the sky than there are grains of sand on the earth”. I told the kids this the other day and I dont think that they believe me.
The gift I was given came from my work colleagues and was a complete surprise. The amazing people that I worked with had all contributed to a gift that essentially allowed me to name a star in the sky in Kelly’s honour. The registration is valid forever and the star will bear the name for eternity.
The star has now been named (we named it KellyBree, a name Kelly used frequently for it’s uniqueness) and the certificate received. Every evening when I catch the glimpse of the moon or the first stars, I find myself wondering where KellyBree is in the night sky. Sometimes I pull out the app and search for it to answer the question. The kids know it is there and we refer to it often. I like to think of it as safe space in the sky where Kelly’s memory resides. It was a wonderful gift and one that I am really glad to have received. I will use it for the rest of my life and dont doubt the kids will too.