If you have ever wondered why my counseling practice is called “For You Are Made of Stars”, here is why.

Nine years ago my family and I visited beautiful Nelson, British Columbia. Exploring downtown, we stumbled across a small French bakery, tucked away on a small back lane. We stepped inside, and while my kids and husband checked out the bread selection, my eyes fell on a chalkboard. It featured the following proverb: “Be humble, for you are made of earth. Be noble, for you are made of stars.”

I instantly fell in love with it. It made sense.

We are made of earth; and we are made of stars. We are body and soul, limited to a form that can not last and blessed with a timeless essence that transcends the Here and Now. Between those two our lives unfold.

But we easily forget this. The experiences of our body and mind are often all we know: small and big feelings, fears, pain, confusion, longing, plans, hopes, illness, aging. Not that anything is wrong with that. It is good to be of the earth and to be able to experience and appreciate it. But the truth is, our time on earth is finite, and we don’t know when it will end.

This is what makes life so precious. With this preciousness comes responsibility. Aside from caring humbly for our body (and the earthly responsibilities that come with it), we have the noble duty to look beyond it and remember that we are more than flesh, bones and transient desires.

The word “noble” comes from the Latin word nobilis which goes back to the root of gnoscere, “to come to know”. To be noble asks that we search for knowledge, and ultimately the truth. Truth is not subject to change, personal preference, time of day or the length of a life span. It is an immutable, timeless and knowable continuum, available to each one of us if we are earnestly looking. Some call this Truth God, Soul, Spirit, the Source or Great Mother. It has many names. Finding the one that works for you, and remembering it as easily as your own, is as important (if not more) as knowing the letters of the alphabet.

Spiritual practices, contemplation, art, poetry and slowing down to listen help with this remembrance. May the quote I discovered in Nelson’s bakery years ago serve you in this capacity. Be noble, for you are made of stars.