‘The sight of stars makes me dream’

When we fled our house in Khan Younis Jan. 1, 2024, we didn’t know where we would go. Survival was the only thing on our minds. The day was so long I thought it would never end. My thinking was paralyzed, movements slow. But it did end. And we ended up in Rafah, in something you could barely call a tent.

But I discovered a swing on the piece of land where we’re staying. So every day after iftar during Ramadan, I’d do the dishes with my sister and then come to sit in peace on this swing, because it’s out in the open  and I can see the stars. It’s a great spot for stargazing. I love stargazing. I’ve been stargazing since I was around five, since the time I first started being aware of everything around me.

On a normal day, I would finish all my homework, take my laptop and mobile phone, and head to the roof of my house to gaze at the stars. I’d start doing calculations: what is this and what is that, here’s Mars and today it’s aligned with the moon, the moon and Venus are looking at each other. All of this flashes in front of my eyes now when I’m out of the tent under the stars.

One night, I left the tent to wash my face, as usual. My father was out there, though I didn’t know he was there. As I stepped out of the tent, I just looked up at the stars. They were so bright and so beautiful that in the midst of all the bad circumstances we have witnessed, I found beauty in them. Moments later, I realized my dad was staring at me while I was staring at the stars. He was doing that smirk he usually does.

He said, “Well, that’s one dream achieved.”

It didn’t take me long to understand what he meant. I’d always told him that I would love to go camping and stargazing out of a tent! Obviously, I didn’t mean in a situation like this. But it was funny that he noted that. So I just laughed and stared at the stars for a while. Then I washed my face and got back in the tent.

I slept well that night, even though the day had been one of the hardest. And I started to take notice of every little detail that could make my day, no matter how simple it was. Amid all that’s going on here, I realized that I can still achieve dreams. That’s ironic, because I’ve never imagined it would be this way, during war, away from home.

I’ve learned how to ride a bike,  and I’ve seen a frog and a chameleon for the first time. Even though these little situations are very simple, they remind me that even in the hardest of times, you can find hope, you can achieve dreams, you can do anything! Nothing can stop you.

Vincent Van Gogh said, “I don’t know anything for certain, but the sight of stars makes me dream.” And he was right. The sight of stars does make someone dream, even though this person is living through war.