Twinkle was a small star, even for a little star. She lived high above the world, in a velvet black sky sprinkled with thousands of brighter, bolder stars. Twinkle didn’t shine as brightly as the others. In fact, lately, she hadn’t been shining much at all. All the colors seemed to have faded from her light. She used to sparkle with a rainbow of hues – ruby red, sapphire blue, emerald green – but now she was just…dim.
Old Man Orion, a wise and twinkling constellation, noticed Twinkle’s sadness. He floated closer, his belt of stars gleaming. “What troubles you, little one?” he asked gently. Twinkle sighed, a tiny puff of stardust. “I’ve lost my colors, Orion. I try and try to shine, but it’s no use. I’m just a pale glimmer now.”
Orion smiled. “Losing your sparkle happens sometimes, Twinkle. It usually means you’ve forgotten *why* you shine.” He explained that stars didn’t shine just to be seen, but to bring joy and light to those below. “Look down, Twinkle. See the world?”
Twinkle peered down. She saw a small village nestled amongst rolling hills. Everything looked gray and sleepy. Suddenly, she noticed a little girl sitting on her porch, looking very sad. The girl was clutching a broken kite, its colorful fabric torn and drooping. Twinkle felt a pang of sympathy.
“She looks sad,” Twinkle whispered. Orion nodded. “Perhaps she needs a little light.” Twinkle focused all her energy, trying to send a tiny beam of light towards the girl. It was weak, barely a flicker, but she kept trying. She remembered how much *she* loved bright colors, and imagined the girl loving them too.
As Twinkle focused on sending kindness and light, something amazing began to happen. A tiny spark of ruby red appeared within her glow! Then, a hint of sapphire blue. She concentrated harder, thinking of the girl’s smile if she could fix her kite. More colors bloomed – emerald green, sunny yellow, and even a touch of amethyst purple!
The little girl looked up. She gasped as she saw a faint, colorful shimmer in the sky. It wasn’t a strong light, but it was enough to catch her eye. She looked at the broken kite, then back at the sky. A small smile touched her lips. She ran inside and returned with a needle and thread.
Twinkle watched, her colors growing brighter with every stitch the girl made. As the kite was repaired, Twinkle’s light shone with renewed brilliance. She wasn’t the brightest star in the sky, but she was shining with all her heart, and all her colors.
Orion chuckled. “You see, Twinkle? You didn’t need to *find* your colors. You needed to remember *why* you shine. Kindness and helping others are the brightest lights of all.” Twinkle beamed, her rainbow glow illuminating a small patch of the world below. She understood now. It wasn’t about being the biggest or the brightest, but about sharing her light with others.
From that night on, Twinkle continued to shine, not just for herself, but for everyone who needed a little bit of color and hope in their lives. And every time she saw someone in need, she remembered the little girl with the broken kite, and her light shone even brighter. Now close your eyes, little one, and let Twinkle’s light fill your dreams with color and kindness.