They say stars are born in the darkest corners of the universe, where chaos and dust collide to create something beautiful. I never believed that light could break through the shadows — until I saw it for myself. It wasn’t the kind of light that blazes fiercely or demands attention. It was softer, more persistent, like a constellation slowly taking shape in a sky I thought had forgotten me. When my nights felt endless and my heart too heavy to hold, thirteen stars appeared, one by one, to remind me that even in the deepest night, stars can find their way to you.
At first, I didn’t think I deserved their light. I was too used to the darkness, too wrapped in the weight of my own hopelessness. It felt safer to sink, to hide, than to imagine anyone could reach me. But their presence was relentless, not in a way that pushed or demanded but in a way that simply was. They made me question the lies I’d been telling myself: that I was alone, that I was too far gone. One by one, their lights pierced through my defenses, making it impossible to ignore their glow.
Each star carried its own unique light. One shone with warmth that melted my coldest fears, another with strength that made me believe I could stand again. There were stars of kindness, patience, and soft understanding — each one offering something I didn’t know I needed. They didn’t try to fix me, as if I were a shattered piece of glass. They simply illuminated the cracks, showing me that light could seep through them, too. I wasn’t broken. I was just finding my way back, one star at a time.
How do you thank the stars that guide you home? The ones that pull you back when the darkness feels endless? Words seem so small compared to what they’ve given me. They walked into my night without hesitation, choosing to stay even when I couldn’t see the way forward. Their light wasn’t just a comfort— it was a promise. A promise that even in my worst moments, there was something worth holding onto.
Thirteen stars. Thirteen lights. Thirteen souls who didn’t just brighten my sky but taught me to carry the light within myself. They proved the darkness wrong, showed me that even the faintest glimmer can spark a transformation. It wasn’t that they erased the night; they simply made it less terrifying. They reminded me that no matter how long the darkness lasts, it will never outshine the stars.
People often said thirteen was unlucky — a number wrapped in curses and misfortune. But thirteen became the number of people who somehow found their way into my life when I was sure I had nothing left to give. Thirteen is the faces of the ones who reached out and pulled me back from the edge, even when I thought I was beyond saving. Thirteen became my family. And when I look back on the times when I thought I had nothing, I see now that I had everything. Everything I needed to find my way home.
My thirteen stars. My thirteen lights. My thirteen reasons that remind me that even in the darkest of times, life is still beautiful and worth living. To me, they are seventeen. And seventeen will always be thirteen.
