While I wasn’t looking—and that doesn’t happen too often considering I’m the Universe—My sun traveled to a place I’d forbidden him to go. Typical of the young generation. I was powerless to do anything. By the time I got to him, he had ventured too far for Me to alter his path. It’s sort of like when you fall off a cliff. Once you take your second step off the precipice, there’s nothing left for you to do but fall.

I know everything that goes on within My spherical body, but being all knowing doesn’t give Me the power to undo what’s already been done. Well…truthfully, I do have the power, but there’s this unspoken rule among us upper-echelon lifeforms. Sheim, the one from whom I was begotten, kindly reminded Me that we permit mistakes. The results that evolve from them lead to new possibilities. Sheim also enjoys a good mystery. Remembering this truth helped diminish My fury towards Sun. Nevertheless, I was concerned. Because of his misdeed, Earth, who lived in an isolated pocket of space, would soon be affected in a manner that wouldn’t be favorable to the lifeforms living upon her. All I could do was watch helplessly as Sun plowed towards a vast puddle of My energy that someone of his modest size couldn’t digest. I warned him about consuming too much, but he was in a rush to grow up. Sheim told Me I had to let Sun fail if that was his fate. Eventually, I stopped worrying. Nothing lasts forever within Me. I have given birth to countless galaxies, many of which I’ve seen die. I developed a detachment to where I don’t cry anymore. It’s been over a billion years since I shed My last tear, but that doesn’t make Me cold and unfeeling.

I was ready to shift My awareness elsewhere, limiting this arm of the Milky Way to passive observance. However, something caught My attention just outside Earth’s atmosphere. I wouldn’t have even noticed what was about to transpire had Sun not lured Me to this small, insignificant smudge of space. This was an extreme way for him to get My attention, but it worked.

A shuttle transporting winners of a lottery on Earth struck an alien vessel from a distant galaxy. The pilot of the shuttle was forced to make an emergency landing near the border of an English forest. More than half the passengers aboard were killed. Initially, the Custodians, who were the navigators of the alien vessel, regarded the lifeforms on Earth just as humans viewed ants. They rendered the surviving lottery winners unconscious and transported them to their ship for study. During the examination, the Custodians found something unexpected that made them take further interest in humans. This discovery made Me pay close attention to Earth over the next ten years.

Tracking and data collection implants were placed in the brains of the lottery winners. They were then returned a mile away from the crashed shuttle with their memories of the event erased. Rescue vehicles soon arrived at both locations, along with the usual barrage of military, reporters, and lawyers—all eager to know what caused the tragedy. None of the remaining lottery winners could explain what they had crashed into or how they ended up so far from the downed shuttle, which had exploded moments after the Custodians had intervened.

The whole incident made Me remember something I had long forgotten. Maybe I’ll share My lesson learned later. I’m still undecided as I’m used to keeping secrets. And before you accuse Me of having anything to do with acquiring fast cars, dream careers, an ideal mate, or all of the above, understand that I’m innocent. If any of these wishes come true, it’s either because you work hard, are blessed with attractive genes, or luck finds you—either by winning the lottery or by gaining a large inheritance. Still, I sometimes can’t help but involve myself in sentient affairs, which is why I’m transmitting this story to my scribe. I like to remind sentients that I’m more than a passive observer.

And now on to Earth’s final story: a story I intend to tell with a smile because I have no regrets. Without regrets there is no sadness, only being. That’s what I am. Being.