Stella had grown to love her visits to Earth, especially her mornings in the meadow where she played and laughed with the children. Each day, they found new games, made silly faces, and chased after her colorful rays. She had learned so much from them—especially how to laugh and find joy in the simplest moments.

One sunny morning, Stella arrived with a newfound excitement. She had a secret—something special she had been saving just for them. As she shimmered over the meadow, the children gathered below, waving and calling up to her.

“Stella! Stella! Did you bring your colors today?” they shouted with grins.

Stella chuckled, her colors already twinkling brightly across the sky. “Of course I did! But today, I brought something else too,” she said mysteriously, her voice carrying a hint of mischief.

The children’s eyes widened with curiosity. “What is it?” asked a girl with a ponytail, bouncing with excitement.

“Well,” Stella began, her colors swirling in anticipation, “I learned something new. I learned how to tell a joke!”

The children gasped and giggled. They loved jokes—sometimes they would make up silly ones on the spot just to see who could laugh the loudest.

“Go on, Stella!” called the boy with the wild curls. “Tell us your joke!”

Stella took a deep (imaginary) breath, her colors glimmering with excitement. She wanted her first joke to be special, one that would make everyone laugh.

“Okay, here goes!” she began, her voice full of suspense. “Why did the star bring a ladder to the sky?”

The children looked at each other, thinking hard, until the girl with the ponytail finally shouted, “Why, Stella?”

Stella twinkled brighter, her laughter already bubbling up. “Because it wanted to reach new heights!”

The children burst into laughter, clutching their sides and rolling on the grass. Even the wild-haired boy was laughing so hard he could barely catch his breath. The meadow rang with their joyous voices, and Stella felt a deep glow of pride and happiness, knowing her joke had brought such laughter to her friends.

“Tell us another one!” cried a little boy, still giggling.

Stella thought for a moment, and then her colors shimmered mischievously as she came up with a second joke. “Alright, one more! Why did the rainbow break up with the cloud?”

The children were in stitches already, barely able to contain their excitement. “Why, Stella?” they chorused.

“Because the cloud kept raining on its parade!” Stella said, bursting into laughter herself.

The children roared with laughter again, some rolling in the grass while others tried to catch their breath between giggles. Stella’s laughter blended with theirs, creating a melody of joy that echoed across the meadow. She felt lighter than ever, her colors shining with a brightness that only laughter could bring.

As the laughter faded, the children looked up at Stella with admiration and joy. “You’re not just the Rainbow Star, Stella,” said the wild-haired boy. “You’re the Funniest Star in the Sky!”

Stella beamed, her heart full of joy. She had never felt so connected to her friends on Earth, and she knew that laughter was a gift she would carry with her always. Telling her first joke had brought her closer to them, and she realized that humor, like light, was a beautiful way to share happiness.

From that day on, whenever the children saw her in the sky, they’d call up to her, begging for more jokes, and Stella would gladly oblige, her laughter ringing out as brightly as her colors. And in every laugh, every giggle, Stella discovered a new joy—a sparkle that made her feel like the happiest star in the universe.

Stella from the stars so high,
Sparkling bright in velvet sky,
Colors dancing all around,
Casting rainbows on the ground.

Twinkle, twinkle, light so fair,
Bending, shifting in the air,
Every hue, a shining ray,
Painting night in bright display.

Oh, Stella star, with colors wide,
Prisms sparkling far and wide,
Up above the world you soar,
Magic rainbow, evermore.

One night Stella danced so bright,
Casting colors left and right,
Her light bent in a rainbow’s arc,
Painting space with colors stark.

Proud she shined, a special star,
Spreading magic wide and far,
With hues that sparkled through the night,
Stella glowed with pure delight.

Rainbow beams from Stella’s light,
Filled the sky with colors bright,
A star so rare, so bold and true,
Shining rainbows for me and you.

Stella was a little girl who loved to explore, but sometimes, she felt scared or sad. There were days when the world seemed big and a little dark. But whenever she felt that way, her family and friends reminded her she wasn’t alone. They hugged her and said, “You are brave, and we’re here with you.”

As Stella grew, she met new friends who helped her feel stronger. Some had faced their own fears, and they showed her that everyone has little cracks or scratches, just like the toys we love so much. Those cracks and scratches made them special! Stella learned that her little worries and fears were part of growing up and discovering who she was.

One morning, as the sun was coming up, Stella climbed a small hill and looked out at the bright sky. She felt proud of all the times she had tried again. The birds chirped around her, singing, “Start again, it’s a new day!” Stella smiled and felt the sunshine warm her cheeks. She knew that every time she tried, she would feel stronger and braver.

Stella’s little poem went like this:

*“Ring the bells, let them sing.
It’s okay to have a crack or a scratch.
That’s where the light gets in!

Birds sing at dawn, saying, ‘Start again!’
Don’t worry about yesterday.
Today is a brand-new day!”*

And every morning, as the sun rose, Stella felt a little braver, knowing she could keep going, no matter what.

Whenever Stella felt a little unsure, she remembered her family’s words and her friends’ smiles. Her mother would say, “Even the tallest trees started as little seeds,” and her father would remind her, “Brave isn’t about never being scared—it’s about taking steps, even the tiny ones.”

Her friends, each unique with their own stories, became like stars in her sky, reminding her that she wasn’t alone. And Stella knew that, just like them, her small steps mattered. She didn’t need to be perfect or fearless; she just needed to keep moving forward, one sunrise at a time.

This adds a bit more depth to her support system and reinforces the message that it’s okay to feel uncertain, as long as you keep going. Stella’s story is such a powerful reminder that courage is about embracing each new day with hope and knowing that it’s okay to be imperfect—it’s all part of growing and shining brighter.

Stella’s journey was never straightforward. Each day, she faced the darkness that clung to her, the doubts that whispered she couldn’t overcome her fears or move forward. There were days she felt lost, wondering if she’d ever feel light again. But even in those moments, her family and friends reminded her she wasn’t alone. They became her anchors, holding her steady when she felt adrift, their encouragement like a quiet yet unwavering strength that echoed within her.

Along the way, Stella met people who had faced their own shadows and learned to live with their scars. These new connections showed her that resilience wasn’t about perfection but about embracing imperfections and the lessons they carried. They reminded her that the cracks in her spirit were openings through which light could enter. She grew to understand that her struggles weren’t marks of weakness but stepping stones leading to a place of deeper inner strength.

In time, Stella found herself reaching a peak she hadn’t realized she’d been climbing. Standing there, looking back at all she had overcome, she knew that the darkness would no longer define her. She rang the bells of her own resilience, each note echoing her journey and all she had learned. She let go of needing to be perfect, recognizing that each crack in her journey had brought her closer to her true self.

In the quiet hours of dawn, with the first rays of light breaking through, Stella was inspired to put her journey into words. She wrote: a quote from Lenard cohen song Anthem.

*“Ring the bells that still can ring.
Forget your perfect offerings.
There is a crack in everything.
That’s how the light shines in.

The birds sing at the crack of dawn,
‘Start again,’ they seem to say.
Don’t dwell on what has passed away
or what is yet to come.”*

In that moment, Stella felt a peace she had never known. She realized that life wasn’t about hiding her broken pieces but embracing them, knowing that they made her stronger. With every sunrise, she knew she would continue, not by denying her struggles, but by finding strength in her resilience.