The Sky

The Sky

            One early morning, a child by the name of Chas woke up a few hours before dawn and decided to watch the Sun Rise.  He got out of bed and chose the best place to watch the Sun. Choosing an ideal vantage point in the kitchen where the windows allow the most perfect view of the horizon in the distance. Chas begins to gaze through the windows in the stillness of the wee hours of the very beginnings of what would soon become the morning.

            As he sits down comfortably on the kitchen chair, Chas pours himself some of his favorite mango juice from the refrigerator. He slowly drinks his juice and looks attentively into the dark night sky with its twinkling stars and deep purplish clouds.  While drinking his mango juice he starts thinking to himself, “after all, why is the Sky blue anyway?” “Is it because of the Sun, or is it something about the Sky itself?”  These questions had never been discussed before, or even answered by anyone Chas could think of.  Considering this was the case, Chas felt strongly that he would not let another day go by without finding out the answer to this question.  “Why, is the Sky blue?”

            Someone must have asked this simple and profound question before, and found out the answer on the spot.  And even though Chas, himself, had little to no clue onto why the Sky is blue and not green or yellow for example, he still felt that by looking into the Sky as the Sun rose, he would find out—simple as that.

            With the distinct sweet flavor of mango juice on his lips and the approaching Sun Rise, Chas eagerly continued his gaze with more focus than ever.  Sure enough, the Sky as it has done countless times, begins to change color from deep black, to navy blue, and finally a shade of blue that matched the moments of silence with a lasting impression.

            “Chas, why are you up so early this morning?”  The voice from his Dad suddenly startled him as he looked over his shoulder and saw the surprised look on his Father’s face entering the kitchen.

            Chas replied, “Dad, do you know why the Sky is blue?”  The question was immediately met by a sincere answer.

            “Yes, I do actually, and I’m glad that you are asking me…is that why you’re up so early?” The Dad says while preparing to sit down next to Chas at the kitchen table.

            “Yeah, I thought it would be a good idea to try and find out myself.”  Chas says with a child-like sensibility reflecting his deep desire to know the answer to this question.

            “I’ll tell you nature’s little secret, but first you have to put on your jacket because it would be best if I explain this to you outside in the back yard.” The Dad says with reassurance and ease in his deep voice.

            Chas hurries to his room and gets his jacket, while his Dad also grabs and puts on a jacket from the downstairs closet.  As the back door opens, Chas’ father casually slides the screen door while patiently waiting for his son to come down the stairs. In a short amount of time, the two stand in the center of the lawn looking towards the East as the glow of the Sun becomes stronger yet undefined on the horizon.

            “O.k. Chas, this is why the Sky is blue. First, you see the Sun beginning to rise, describe to me what it looks like.”

            “I see purple, red, orange, and yellow all mixed together.” Chas says.

            “You see, the Sun has all the colors in the rainbow and shines these colors to our world.  When the light from the sun gets here, the color blue in the light is spread out in millions and millions of directions by the oxygen in the air!”

            “Really!, Chas exclaims.  “It’s all because of the oxygen in the air?!?”

            “Yes, it’s because of the oxygen.  Think about it like this, the oxygen that we breathe in absorbs the sunlight’s colors, releases it and then scatters only the color blue everywhere in the sky.”     

            “Wow!”  Chas would never have thought that the air he breathes is the main reason why the Sky is blue and not green, yellow or red?

            The Sun begins to rise, and the birds in the neighborhood announce the start of a new day with their special song sung in unison.  Chas and his Dad look at rising Sun together and continue their conversation.

            “Always remember Chas, if there is anything you want to ask me in the future that you wonder about just let me know, and I’ll do whatever I can to answer your questions.”

            “All right, thanks Dad.”  And after taking in the now rising golden Sun, Chas has a new outlook on things.  A mixture of wonderment and satisfaction fills Chas’ spirit as his Dad looks above with a grin.  Feeling happy to have reached a superhero’s status in his son’s imagination that he knows will be lasting.   And surely it is memories such as these that are the true treasures of life.  The Dad stretches out his arms like the branches of a giant tree.  And on that day, Chas believed his Dad could have easily touched the Sky.