Rochester, Minnesota - Astronomers estimate that each day approximately 275 million new stars are born in the universe. Our galaxy alone has 200 to 400 billion stars. With over 100 billion galaxies in the universe, many believe the universe has more stars than the number of sand particles on all the earth’s beaches combined. We, of course, have to be content with owning just one star - our sun.

The sun lights up the sky for a part of the day. When the night comes, countless lights and lamps illumine our homes, using the energy we borrowed from the sun. The sun is the source; the lamps carry its message (and energy). They fulfill each other’s purpose.

None of us is the sun. But we can be a lamp. I believe that’s what the world needs – countless lamps, so the night is never dark.

A life, driven by this purpose, will help remove darkness.

Your humble light that shines bright with your kindness, hope and selfless efforts, can inspire hope so others make it through the dark, keeping their eyes open, as you and I do, waiting for the sunrise, which always happens no matter how dark the night may have been.

Navigate the night of hopelessness holding a firm belief that no matter how dark the night, the sun will always rise.