The Moon
Have you ever stopped to think about the moon? Truly just look up and let your brain work? It is widely accepted and known that the moon has an impact on life here on earth. Yes, that floating rock in space some 230,000+ miles away influences our daily lives. However, I am not just talking about your mood and behaviors, it also influences your physical life and the physical world around you as well.
We all know the basics:
- The moon reflects light at night
- The moon controls the ocean tides
- The moon influences movement of the earth crust
- The moon influences gravity here on earth
Now for the lesser-known parts:
- The moon is a little more than quarter the size of earth, 27%.
- The moon has the same axial rotation as it does orbit speed (which means we always see the same face as it works around earth)
- The moon has a gravitational pull on the earth that stabilizes the earths wobble, which makes life on earth possible.
So now I ask…. what does the moon mean to you? What influence has it had over your life?
For me, when I was a kid I watched a movie called An American Tail which radically changed the way I look at the moon. The movie is about a mouse family as they immigrate from Europe to America. During their travels the young son, Fievel, gets separated from the rest of his family. In one scene he is looking up at the moon, and comes to the realization that even though he has no idea where the rest of his family is, he can take comfort in knowing that they too are looking up at the exact same moon that he is. Ever since that moment, the concept of comfort in knowing those you love are seeing the exact same thing you are, has not been lost on me.
Never before in my life has this meant more to me than it has this past year to year and a half. I have been a part of a long-distance relationship with a woman who means so very much to me, even though she lives more than 400 miles away. We talk every day and share an exchange of good nights every night. While the distance between us has presented its own challenges and unique situations, I take comfort at night when I look up and see the moon. I take comfort knowing that when she looks up into the night sky, she sees the exact same thing I do. The same shape, the same size, the same dark spots that standout as one looks up at the moon.
As I look at the influence the moon has on life here on earth a resounding theme becomes apparent, the moon is the great equalizer. It provides light during darkness. It not only raises water levels, but drops them as well. It spins just as fast as it orbits, so we always see the same side. It minimizes the wobble of the earth’s axis to a live-able degree. Lastly, when two people are looking up at it at the same time, it reduces 400+ miles to a comfortable closeness and reminds them that they are both “sleeping underneath the same big sky”
