G8 – A Star for Mom’s Birthday on grade -02

Mom’s birthday is only a week away and Dad is in an absolute panic. He gets this way every year wondering what to buy her. Through the years, he has not had the best of luck finding things for the perfect present. It’s not that he is complacent. He really does put in a great deal of effort. Your mom is just tough to shop for. Currently, money is tight in your household, so he can’t take off work and take her on a trip somewhere. She doesn’t really have a hobby to speak of, unless you consider drinking fancy coffee a hobby. Last year, Mom’s birthday gift was a failure on a grand scale! Even though you warned him, he bought her a vacuum cleaner and paid the consequences for weeks after. This year he is determined the outcome of this birthday gift will be remarkable. With the money he received from selling what he calls his “antique” pick-up truck, he is going to purchase Mom something truly special.

So here you are at the town square, standing in the jewelry store that has been here for 70 years, or so the sign in the window says. You really need to be working on your Science project or practicing some hoops, but you can’t trust this purchase to your dad. Somehow you feel obligated to help him, as it is obvious the shopping gene has alluded him. The nice man at the jewelry shop was very patient, showing your father all the different types of jewelry and explaining the different grades of diamonds based on the 4 C’s. While the man explained how a diamond’s value is based on color, clarity, cut, and carat weight, your father didn’t want to admit the $300 he had in his pocket from the sale of his old truck would not be enough to purchase any of the diamonds he was being shown. After a while, your father politely explained he would have to think about it and walked out of the store.

As you and your father walk down the cobblestone street back to the car, you can see he is distressed and obviously needs your assistance. You look up at your father and give him a nod and say, “I have an idea, but I need to get home and fire up my computer for some research.” A short while later, you are frantically typing on the computer keys with your father sitting beside you, watching in bewilderment. “Here it is. This is what you need to buy Mom for her birthday,” you explain to your father.

The website you have pulled up on the computer explains how you can name a star for only $19.95. Included in the price is a beautifully framed certificate with the star’s name and the coordinates on where you can find your star in the sky.

“Is this really a legit website?” your father asks.

Dad has always been a bit on the pragmatic side when it comes to presents, hence the abysmal failure with the vacuum cleaner as a birthday present. You explain to your well-meaning but overly logical father that only the International Astronomical Union names stars, but that is not the point to consider.

“It’s like buying flowers,” you explain as he sits in the chair rather impatiently next to you. “You spend a lot of money to bring the beautiful bouquet of flowers home and a few days later they die.” You stress the importance to him that it is all about the symbolism behind the gesture, not the object itself. Though the star will not really get a name change, the point is he will take the time to pick out the perfect star and make Mom very happy. The method to your madness is quite simple really, “You are not going to name any old star, you are going to pick the perfect star!” you explain.