We on Earth, the Shined-Upon, are in the thrall of our great shining star, the Sun. We are eternally dependent on it for our energy, for all the life that blooms and swims and walks on our surface. But it is also true that this life could never arise on a burning object, not on any star. Not a single life-building molecule could survive on the Sun with its surface temperature of 5,800 degrees Kelvin. For me, the lesson here is simple, though always important to be reminded of.
Every role is equally important.
We are all in the same game and we are all dependent on one another. It may be hiding a deeper truth about a relationship. I feel we are sitting on archives of celestial wisdom when I gaze at binary stars such as at Sirius A and Sirius B, a pair of binary stars that circle a common center of mass with a balance and precision so exact that you can set the Cosmic Clock by their alternating eclipses. These two have danced in unison for millions of years, each taking its solo turn while the other spins patiently in eclipse awaiting visibility. I envy these two heavenly bodies with their perfect harmony, their mutual respect, their eons of total devotion to one another.