"Grandma, the sun is so strong today!" little Arturo complained, sitting on the sand next to his grandmother Juana. "I like the beach, but not getting burned by this dumb sun."
Grandmother Juana smiled affectionately at her grandson's words. "The sun can be intense, it's true. But without it, none of this would exist."
"What do you mean, grandma?" Arturito asked, frowning.
"Look around you, Arturin. The beautiful sea you enjoy so much, the fresh air you breathe, even the grains of sand beneath your feet... all of that exists largely thanks to the sun's energy."
Arturito made a face. "Well, I like the water, but not its salty taste. Wouldn't it be better if we could have vacations without this unbearable sun?"
Grandmother Juana laughed softly. "Oh, Arturin, the sun is not expendable at all. It is the very source of life on our planet. Without its light and warmth, nothing could survive."
"Really? Not even us?" Arturito looked skeptical.
"Not even us," his grandmother confirmed. "You see, the sun is a blazing star, over a million times the size of Earth, that shines with unimaginable intensity. Every second, it releases colossal amounts of energy in the form of light and heat."
Arturito looked up at the sky, squinting against the glare. "That much? Wow, it must be enormous!"
His grandmother nodded. "It is. And that energy travels an even longer path to reach us. Imagine a journey spanning millions of miles, through the void of space."
"Millions?" Arturito's eyes widened in amazement. "That's a lot, grandma!"
"Indeed," said his grandmother with a smile. "And throughout all that time, the sun's light and warmth have traveled tirelessly, just to reach our little corner of the universe."
Arturito frowned thoughtfully. "But why? Why would the sun make such a long journey just to warm us?"
His grandmother looked at her grandson with shining eyes. "Why, I don't know Arturin, but that energy is what sustains life itself on Earth. Every ray of light, every particle of heat, is absorbed by our planet and used to fuel the natural cycles that keep us alive."
"Really?" Arturito looked astonished.
"Yes, dear," his grandmother continued. "That intense, powerful energy coming from the sun is what makes plants grow, what warms the oceans and moves the winds. It is the driving force behind everything around us."
Arturito looked around with renewed wonder, as if seeing the beach for the first time. "So all of this exists thanks to the sun?"
His grandmother nodded. "Exactly. And not only that, but the energy the sun provides us is also returned to space, continuing a cycle that has lasted billions of years."
"How's that?" Arturito asked, intrigued.
"Well, at the Earth's surface, that energy is radiated back into space in the form of light and heat," his grandmother explained.
Arturito fell silent for a moment, taking in his grandmother's words. Then he looked at the sun with new appreciation. "So the sun isn't dumb, is it? It's more like... impressive."
His grandmother smiled with pride. "Yes, Arturito, the sun is truly impressive. A blazing giant that gives us its energy without asking anything in return, allowing life to flourish in our little corner of the cosmos."
"I was wondering, grandma, how old is the sun?"
"As I recall, over 4.5 billion years... Something like an eternity..."
YOU ARE READING
Lighfe
Science FictionIn the blazing heart of the Sun, a spark of light comes to life with an astonishing quality: self-awareness. As it struggles against loneliness and the loss of energy, it desperately seeks to uncover its purpose and if there is anything beyond its b...
