When I was a little girl, the only thing I really understood about the holiday season was that I would be receiving gifts. My mom would usually toss some clothes my way, or find some other ‘practical’ thing I needed.  My dad, on the other hand, used the occasion to spoil me with all of the fun things that no child really needs, but that every child wants.

As I got a little older I began to wonder about the season.  And, now that I’m on a ship with 250 other people, I wonder even more.  There are dozens of different faiths represented on Galahad, and even more personal interpretations of those faiths.  Each person, regardless of their upbringing, tends to form their own opinions.

When I spend a few quiet moments staring out into the depths of space around me, the weight of it all seems to crash down upon me.  When you’r  at home on Earth, it’s easy to take everything around you for granted, and to feel that your own personal beliefs are all that is.  Here, the awe of the universe overpowers you: The vastness, the stunning power, and the beauty.

I wish I had more time to consider it all, to ponder the meaning, to….appreciate it more.  If this first holiday season in space means anything to me, however, it means I have learned to recognize that the universe is alive, breathing with its own energy.  Whatever faith I might bring, or whatever faiths my fellow travelers bring, there is one thing that is for certain.

There is room for it all.

(Okay, Galahad bloggers.  If EVER there was a time for you to share your own thoughts and feelings regarding Triana’s writing, I think this is it. You have the floor.)