Starry Story #8 - Finding Calm in the Storm

Join Starry again as she tries some different techniques to help her with her anxiety + nervousness around storms.

This episode was actually recorded a couple of weeks ago before Cyclone Alfred was even upon us, so it's purely just coincidence that I'm releasing this as our 5th Day of Starry Stories, just as Alfred is about to hit the coast. If this feels too much or you actually specifically need to listen to *anything* but storm content, we understand, please skip this episode for now!

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Transcript

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Hey Stories, this episode is perfect for you to listen to on your own or with a grown up. Enjoy! Hey Staries! I recorded this episode about a week or two ago before we even knew that Cyclone Alfred was a thing. So it's just absolute coincidence that I have done this episode for this time. I did it because in my enrollments for my in person sessions, lots of girls were saying that they were having a little bit of anxiety around when there's been storms at their place. And so I decided to do this episode. If you're in a place where Cyclone Alfred is, bringing lots of rain and wind, I hope that you're safe. And I hope that this brings a little bit of calm to your mind with anything that's going on for you. Happy listening. Hi, my name is Pearl. At Stardust Squad, we respectfully acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we gather, create, explore, and dream, the Gunnaikurnai people. We pay our respects to their elders past and present and recognize their ongoing connection to the land, the seas, and the skies. We acknowledge that this land has been a place of learning and storytelling for thousands of years and honor the wisdom and stories of Indigenous people. As we continue on our Stardust adventures, we commit to building a sense of belonging. Welcoming and respect for all cultures, identities and beliefs. May we walk gently upon this land, guided by the styles and spirits of those who came before us. Always was, always will be Aboriginal land. Stardust squad we shine so bright, twinkling in the sky at night. Hand in hand we laugh and play, dreaming big every day. Sparkle high and sparkle low, together we let our magic grow. Girls of strength, girls of light, Stardust squad we take flight. Clap once, clap twice, then spin around. In Stardust squad we're safe and sound, shining strong we lift each other. Sisters of stars like none other. Starry had always loved the night sky. She could name every planet, recognize constellations by heart, and even kept a moon journal where she tracked the lunar cycle. But, despite her deep love for the night, there was one thing that always unsettled her. Storms. She hated how the wind roared through the trees, how the sky would flash without warning, and how thunder sounded like the universe was splitting open. It didn't make any sense. She loved space, stars, and the mysteries of the universe. So why did storms, another wonder of nature, make her so anxious? One night, Starry sat at her bedroom window, gazing at the sky. The moon was just a small crescent hanging in the dark. She breathed out, feeling peaceful, until she saw it. A distant flicker of lightning. She felt her whole body tense up. The sky rumbled low and deep in response. Her hands clenched into fists. Here it comes, she thought, the fear. The tight feeling in her chest, the deep wish that she could fast forward through the night and wake up to clear blue skies and safety. But tonight she didn't want to feel afraid. She took a slow breath and whispered to herself, I am safe. The storm is only visiting. She breathed out and repeated it. I am safe. The storm is only visiting. She felt her heart beat slow down slightly. Saying these words were making her feel slightly better. She tried a different one. I am strong, just like the night sky. She breathed out again, and repeated it again. I am strong, just like the night sky. The storm wasn't going anywhere yet, but neither was she. So, she did something different. Instead of hiding under her blankets, she watched. The lightning flashed again, this time closer. The thunder rolled across the sky. And suddenly, Starry had a thought. What if storms weren't something to fear, but maybe something to try and understand? Maybe there was a reason behind every flash of lightning. Maybe there was a story hidden inside the thunder. Starry grabbed her moon journal and began writing. She wrote about different ideas, things that made her smile, about why the storm was here, why the flash of lightning was coming. and why she could hear the rolling of thunder. She wrote about things that made her feel calm, things that made her smile and feel a bit silly and giggle. And she wrote about different ideas and theories of why the storm was going on. One idea that she had was that the star keepers were rearranging the sky. The lightning is their magic sparkling as they shift the constellations and the thunder is the booming sound of the universe stretching. She liked that idea. Her other idea was that storms were moonlight potions that had gone wrong. The moon witches are brewing special potions to keep the sky bright, but sometimes they bubble over, spilling into the clouds and creating flashes of lightning. Oh, she really liked that idea. The last one she wrote was that it was the way the universe was recharging. Maybe storms weren't random. Maybe they were the universe's way of recharging itself, like how the moon pulls the tides or how trees shed their leaves to grow again. The longer she wondered about storms, the less afraid she felt. But she didn't just want to imagine these fun stories of why the storms were here. She wanted to know. So the next morning when the storm had passed, she went to the library borrowed a book about weather. She flipped through the pages reading about lightning, thunder, and rain. Here's what she learnt. She learnt that lightning is pure electricity. Clouds rub together like balloon against your hair, creating static electricity. When too much builds up, it releases in a giant spark. That's what lightning is. And thunder is just sound. Lightning heats the air so fast that it expands with a bang. That's the deep rolling sound that we hear. And raindrops fall in patterns. Even though storms seem wild, They follow set cycles and patterns. Every storm has a beginning, a middle, and an end. And suddenly, storms weren't so terrifying anymore. That night, yet another storm rolled in, but Starry was ready. She whispered to herself, I am safe, the storm is only visiting. I am strong, just like the night sky. And then, she watched. She counted the seconds between the lightning and the thunder, knowing that each second longer between the two meant that the storm was moving further away. There was a flash of lightning, one, and two, and three, and four, then she heard the rumble. Suddenly, another flash of lightning, one, and two, and three, and four, and five, and then the thunder started rolling in. That one was longer, which meant it was moving further away. She imagined the moon witches brewing their special potions to keep the sky bright and pictured the universe recharging itself. And you know what? She didn't feel afraid anymore. She felt curious. She felt powerful. And she felt like part of something bigger than fear. And with that thought, she closed her eyes. And drifted off to sleep. All while the moon witches kept slowly brewing their potions up in the night sky. Today's affirmation is, I can feel scared but still be okay. Thanks for listening, Staries. See you next time.