Counting

When I was younger my playmate would make me count the stars. He said if I don’t count them they would just disappear. According to him, the stars are the most insecure elements in the universe and they need constant attention. If they don’t get enough, they will just hide themselves in the sky.

So even when I started going to school I didn’t stop counting them. Until one day I realised that I’ve been wasting my time. The stars are too far away for them to hear me as I count them out loud. Yet looking back, it occurred to me that he was quite right about them. Reading beyond the lines, they represent us and our blessings in life.

Nowadays most everyone spends more time stressing about making money or doing complicated things thinking that it would make life better. The pace of life has become so fast that some people have not noticed other things to which money or fame does not matter.

I fear for those people. I fear that they will forget the serenity in looking at the night sky. I fear that they will forget the beauty of the stars as they shine during a cloudless night. I fear that in trying to keep up with their hectic schedules, their stress will consume them and their shine will slowly fade like those forgotten stars. But most of all, I fear that sooner or later I will be exactly like them.

The people who have warned me that year 12 is going to be stressful weren’t exaggerating at all. This is true especially for those with part-time jobs on the weekends when they’re supposedly taking time out for themselves.

This is where stress comes in. It is defined as the body’s response to various demands made upon it. A good amount of stress helps people to keep alert and motivated. Too much stress over a long period of time can lead to serious illnesses such as anxiety, depression, high blood pressure and heart attack.

As a younger child, I didn’t have to worry about stress. Life was quite simple. It didn’t take a lot to keep me happy. Watching Sesame Street or Disney Classics on the telly already overjoyed me. Then I went to high school and found out that my Sesame Street English wasn’t good enough. That not everyone can be my friend. Worst of all, I realised that Maths isn’t very fun for me anymore. The more I knew about the world, the more it took to make me happy. I felt what it’s like to be pressured and have my stress levels sky-high. It became apparent that I have forgotten to stop and breathe. I have forgotten to count the stars.

excerpt from
"Counting Our Way Through Stress"
by Paula Luansing