Once upon a time, there was a girl named Om who loved looking at the moon every night before bed.
She would lie facing the window, gaze at the moon, and talk to it silently in her heart — telling it about everything that happened that day, both the good and the things that upset her.
One night, the moon glowed round and full. Om lay watching it and asked in her heart, “Moon, where are you during the daytime?”
“Right here, same as always,” a soft voice answered back.
Om sat up, staring at the great big moon. “The moon can talk?”
“I can listen too,” the moon replied. “I’ve been listening to you every single night.”
Om sat with her knees folded, looking at the moon. “So what do you do during the day?”
“I watch you,” the moon said. “When you run and play, when you eat, when you study, even when tears fall from your eyes. I’m always right here — it’s just that the sun is so much brighter, you can’t see me.”
“Then why does the moon shine at night?”
The moon was quiet for a moment. “Because night is when it’s dark, and children need a little light to know they’re not alone. Just a small light is enough to make the darkness not so scary.”
Om looked at the moon for a long while, feeling warm inside.
“So what should I dream about tonight?”
“Dream about whatever makes you smile the most,” the moon answered. “I’ll shine all night long. You won’t have any bad dreams.”
Om lay down and closed her eyes, thinking of the things that made her smile the most — her mother’s goodnight hugs, her friends laughing together at school, the orange cat that slept in front of her house.
A small smile appeared at the corner of her mouth, and she drifted off to sleep as moonlight streamed through the curtains.
From that night on, Om never felt afraid of the dark again, because she knew someone was watching over her always, whether it was light or dark.
Sweet dreams, Om.
Moral: Darkness doesn’t mean we’re alone. There is always a small light waiting for us to notice it. On nights when you feel lonely, think of the people who love you and watch over you always, even when you cannot see them.
