My bags rested on the curb and I hopped up next to them.  He stood on street, slipped his arms around my waist, and pulled in for a hug.  With the added curb height, I stood eye-level with JD and pressed my forehead to his.

The airplanes roared overhead, and Nashville waited for me.

JD whispered a prayer into my ear and we said goodbye.  As I walked away, he said, “Hey, shine like a star, not a diamond.”

I stopped in my tracks.  He’d never said it before, but I knew exactly what he meant.

A diamond is flashy.  It’s impression changes with its size.  A diamond conveys an image.

A star, on the other hand, is just itself.  It’s natural.  A star lights up a dark sky.  It shines because it must. 

He reminded me that shining as a byproduct of who you are is far better than shining because you think you should.

Today, I hope we—you and me—well, I hope we shine like the stars.