Stardust children

Just on the off chance you haven't already heard this: The universe started with mostly hydrogen, helium, etc... the lighter elements. Then those clouds of H2 slowly attracted each other because of gravity, and formed into tighter balls that started to fuse and convert the hydrogen to heavier elements.  These are the heavy materials necessary to life: Iron, Carbon, Oxygen, etc...  When those stars eventually exploded, those materials were thrown out into the universe and eventually formed into our planet, providing materials which randomly arrange into shapes which then act as a pattern for similar arrangements, where the more adaptable ones are more likely to reproduce and evolve into what we have become today.

Everyone of those processes are understood, at least to a basic degree, by science today. They can be tested, duplicated on the (much) smaller scale, and used to predict the future. We can control them (a little) and use that to our advantage (or not).

How can anyone be MORE in awe than to know that BILLIONS of years and fusion and explosions of energy on a STELLAR scale where required to come to this point at this time to make this CHILD! And if you read them enough books, they can come to understand most of how they came to be! How much more wonder, interconnectedness, beauty, and design do we need?

Many times I've looked at my kids and thought or even said "you are made of stardust"... Now get back to your homework! You have miles to go before you rest. Push the rock a little higher this time, young Prometheus.