You never know how much time you have with someone—it could be years, months, weeks. But when they’re gone, they’re gone. You can never bring them back to life, even if you tried. I am a perfect example.
My name is Orpheus, and this is my story.
I’m the son of the Greek god Apollo and the muse Calliope. I’m a musician of the Argonauts and play the lyre. Music was my life until one day I met her—Eurydice the nymph. She was the most perfect creature I’d ever seen, and we fell madly in love. We were married soon after we met each other. knowing that we’d found our soul-mate. Everything was perfect, but perfect never lasts forever.
One day, while Eurydice was with her nymph friends, she was seen by the shepherd Aristaeus, who, like myself, was amazed by her beauty. He chased after her, wanting her, ready to do anything for her. However, Eurydice fled—as a good wife should—but as she did, she ran into a field and was bitten by a venomous snake. She died before I reached her. I never got the chance to say goodbye. She died fleeing and troubled. One should never experience something like that.
I was heartbroken. Haunted by all the memories we had yet to make, all the things we had left to do were now gone—ripped from me. Unable to stand the pain of Eurydice not being by my side led me to do the only thing I could possibly think would bring her back. I went to the underworld and preformed the song I’d written for my dear Eurydice in hopes that Hades would understand my pain and let me have her back so we could finish our life together.
My hopes were granted when Hades agreed to give me Eurydice back—but on one condition. I must not look back to Eurydice until we both reached the ground again. I agreed, happy to do anything to get my Eurydice back. I’d been told she would be slow because of her injury, and I understood. But, my stupid self, impatient, anxious, and full of too much excitement, looked back when I reached the ground. Eurydice had yet to reach the surface.
I had broken the agreement. I stood in horror as Eurydice was taken back to the underworld where she would stay forever. I had lost her, not only once, but twice.
It had been to much to bear. I was glad when I was killed by the women of Thrace. It meant I could be with my Eurydice at last. Zeus took pity on me, though, and put my lyre in the sky. To find it look for the constellation Lyra directly overhead in the North.
Now everyone can look up and remember to enjoy the company of those they love while they can—because you never know how much time you have left.
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We cover so much in these full-school-year online courses. Students learn about…
- How to identify major constellations
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This article was written by Kaylee, 18, an Experience Astronomy student from Saint Johns, Michigan.