When we were very young, my brother told me he was a Martian. He explained that the two antennae growing out of the top of his head were invisible. And his skin wasn’t green. So most people were not aware of his true identity. But if I wanted, he would take me to outer space to meet his other family.

Playful imagination of children? Yes. And so much more.

I sense my brother was tapping into a deep well of wisdom. He was revealing what scientists and mystics and poets and songwriters have been talking about for a very long time.

We’re made of stardust. We have diverse origins and many relatives. We are people of the earth and the stars.

If my brother’s decades-old story doesn’t convince you, maybe the spectacular images from NASA’s Webb Telescope do? Here on earth, we are being touched by vast bodies of knowledge, by eons of stories, by the radiant colors and remarkable size and shapes of celestial beings who are millions and billions of light years away. The distant galaxies and nebulas, the way way way long ago past, are here with us now, shaping our lives on earth.

And the exchanges and influences flow the other way too. Eons of stories, boundless knowledge, and life energies ripple on and on and on in every direction from our earth, through and beyond our solar system, through and beyond our spiral galaxy, through immeasurable layers of space and time, touching celestial beings millions and billions of light years away.

We are naturally part of this immense living field called the Universe. Our earthly existence, in this very moment, is connected with planets, stars, moons, and galaxies dancing around in the cosmos far beyond what our eyes can see, what our arms can reach to touch, what our minds can wrap around.

Our heritage is evident in the stardust in our cells. We belong. We are relatives. You and me. Us and them. Here and there. Now and then and in all that will come to be.

Our hearts are being called to open so much wider, like the rays of the sun beaming out in all directions, to embrace the great expanse of existence. With childlike exuberance, wonder, and awe, we’ll fall in love with the beauty and brilliance of it all.

My brother shared exquisite wisdom way back when, and invited me to join in the adventure. Explore what exists beyond the familiar. Travel to worlds unseen. Immerse in the magic and mystery of life. Remember our place among the stars.