Here I lay, on the ground looking up at the wonderful sky above me. Watching, watching all these burning balls of gas in amazement. I never knew why I have always been obsessed with stars, but my nana tells me that I have loved them ever since I was a baby.

When I was younger I can always remember me running to my nana and her picking me up and telling me, “Mattie, you’re a star.” My pops always told me that they way we look at things in life tells a lot about people. I think the little things, are the things that matter.

I’m laying looking at the stars, when all of a sudden a little white ball of fur jumps over me. I sit up and laugh. It’s just my little bulldog Aurora. She has returned from looking for a stick I threw 10 minutes ago. I look at her and pat my lap, signaling her to come and sit on my lap. She does so, and I gently brush the leaves and dirt off of her white coat. I named Aurora after the Aurora Borealis (northern lights). Like I said, I have always been drawn to the sky, so I try to bring it into my everyday life.

I push Aurora off of me, stand up, and start gathering my things. I go to pull the blanket off the ground that I was laying on, but Aurora won’t get off the blanket. I try to pull, but she won’t budge. I think she wants to stay a little longer, so after awhile I just give up and plop on the ground laughing. Aurora runs and jumps on me and I fall backwards on my back. Now I’m just laying on the ground looking at the beautiful sky, with Aurora laying on me.

About 20 minutes later, Aurora gets up and starts barking. I think its a sign that she wants to go home. I get up, pick up our belongings and head for the truck. We are driving home, and the closer we get, the more I can smell what nana has on the stove for dinner.