The Smallest Lights in the Universe

This book was a gift, and a perfect one. The author is a professor at MIT whose research is focused on the search for exoplanets. She's also a widow who lost her husband to cancer and found herself suddenly juggling her career with her two young sons all be herself.

I related to this book much more than Joan Didion's memoir. Getting through the day to day when every little thing is overwhelming, learning new skills because you suddenly have to do it alone, finding your grief all mixed up with gratitude for the things you do have, these are all deeply familiar experiences for me now.

Interleaved with that was a fascinating look at Dr Seager's career and research, her pursuit of planets outside the solar system that might support life. I loved reading about her work. Not just because it was so interesting, but also because it was this subtle reminder that life just keeps going on.

I'm so glad I read this book. It was a big reminder that I'm not alone, that other people have gone through this and I'll get through it, too.

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