Memories of a Time Once Forgotten

Star Stuff.... that's what we are all made of.  No matter how you put  it, we are made of the same things as the stars.  When I was little my brother and I would sleep out on the lawn and watch the stars for hours before finally falling asleep.  He would look for the constellations and when he found one he'd show it to me, then he would tell me the story.  Whenever he found Orion's Belt he'd find the rest of him and then look at me and say, "Al, you know what we're made of?"  I would usually say something like, "Bones and guts and stuff?"  He would laugh and say, "No, we're made of Star Stuff.  The same as Orion.  We are just like him.  No matter what you do, always shoot for the stars, 'cause no matter what, you'll always be made of Star Stuff."  We'd lay there for hours, he'd tell stories and jokes, and no matter what he said, even if it was so absurd that it was almost verging on insanity, I hung on every word.  I...

The cool breeze wafted into my bedroom through the open window.  Birds chirped and fluttered through the air and the crisp, clean morning air made my bed chamber into a fairy tale scene.  My eyes slowly opened, taking in the light from the sun that seemed so lost.  Months had gone by when the sun was no where to be seen, but today it was there like a beacon to the world.  My mind raced as it took in the sounds and smells of the morning.  Another smell came floating into my room but not through my window.  My bedroom door hung ajar and through the small opening came the smell of pancakes and eggs, hash browns and bacon!!  A perfect morning!  I throw the covers off my bed, slide my feet into a pair of slippers and skip down the stairs.  Mother is standing in her PJ's at the stove, bacon sizzling away.  Pancakes are piled high on the table next to a large plate of scrambled eggs.  My father is sitting at the table buttering a slice of...