On moon landings and favorite PLANETS.

This week we celebrated the moon landing of 1969, which somehow seems more and more miraculous as time passes. One of the greatest gifts of the space program is the gift of wonder, and the viral spread of wonder from one area to another.

Years ago I had the chance to hear astronaut Pamela Melroy speak about her first space mission. She explained that throughout her scientific training, she’d focused on studying Jupiter, so whenever people asked about her favorite planet, she’d go on and on about the wonders of this distant planet. Then, once she was in orbit, looking back on Earth, she suddenly realized, wait a minute! Jupiter is not my favorite planet — Earth is my favorite planet!

Whether planets or books or jobs or ice creams or people, it’s fun to answer the question, “which is your favorite?” And as we progress through life, it sometimes becomes cooler to pick an unusual favorite, something or someone obscure or quirky or far afield.

Dear friends, as we explore more and more distant realms, let’s not skip over the favorites that are right here with us, accompanying our lives day in and day out, through thick and thin. They might not shine as brightly as the objects in the distance, but these close-by favorites are the most precious of all.

Our first favorites. Our homes.