Yesterday my friend handed me an unexpected gift in a brightly colored gift bag with pink tissue. It made me happy to just look out the outside and that was a good thing as life hasn't been very happy lately. And inside the bag, she had placed a fragile, unique piece of hand-painted pottery - a plaque-like item with a twisted twig handle by which to hang it. When it is dark enough you can see the stars: hope, is what it said. Her smile was like a constellation to me and her hug afterward gave me hope. I said "thank you" to her and to God that I'm not alone.