One thing to say about doing maintenance in space - it is

Hear the words of Sunita Williams, voyager of the void: “One thing to say about doing maintenance in space—it is difficult because the parts and pieces float away. You end up using a lot of tape and Velcro to make sure things stay put.” At first, it sounds as though she speaks merely of tools, of screws and bolts drifting beyond reach. But listen more deeply, and you will hear the echo of a truth that touches every soul: that in the absence of gravity, even the simplest tasks demand new wisdom, and that to keep life in order, one must bind loose pieces with strength, patience, and ingenuity.

In the silence of space, where no weight presses objects to the ground, the very laws of labor are rewritten. What clings on earth drifts in orbit; what once seemed steady becomes elusive. And so the astronaut must hold together her world with what she has—tape and Velcro, humble inventions that become lifelines among the stars. Does this not mirror our own lives on earth? For when the gravity of certainty is absent, when the anchors of routine slip away, then too must we learn to fasten our days with discipline, resilience, and creativity.

Think of Williams herself, who spent months aboard the International Space Station, enduring long nights and endless sunrises. When she reached out to mend, a bolt or a wrench might spin into the void. Yet she did not despair. Instead, she adapted, using the simplest of tools to master the most complex of challenges. This is the mark of true wisdom—not to lament the nature of reality, but to work with it, finding new ways to hold fast when all else drifts away.

History is rich with examples of such ingenuity. Consider Ernest Shackleton and his crew, stranded in the frozen wastes of Antarctica when their ship, the Endurance, was crushed by ice. They, too, faced a world where nothing stayed put, where plans collapsed like fragile glass. Yet through makeshift repairs, clever adjustments, and the binding together of will and courage, they survived. As Williams used Velcro to secure her tools, Shackleton used ingenuity to secure his men’s lives. Both show that when all is uncertain, the smallest acts of resourcefulness can hold the greatest weight.

The teaching here is clear: life will often strip away the gravity we take for granted. Relationships may drift, ambitions may float beyond reach, and tasks once easy may become trials. In such times, we must not surrender. Instead, we must gather the humble tools of perseverance—discipline, humility, and patience—and fasten our world together until balance returns. Just as Velcro binds what would otherwise be lost, so too can faith, love, and determination bind the pieces of a scattered life.

Do not despise the small aids that help you endure. A notebook to steady your mind, a daily ritual to ground your soul, a kind word spoken to anchor another—these are your tapes and Velcro. They may seem simple, even trivial, but they can hold you steady when everything else drifts into chaos. Remember that great achievements are not always born of grand instruments, but of small, steadfast acts repeated in times of trial.

Therefore, O seeker of wisdom, when you find yourself in weightless days, when the parts of your life float away from your grasp, take heart. Bind them gently but firmly, as Williams bound her tools, with whatever cords you possess. Let patience be your tape, let faith be your Velcro, and let determination be the hand that holds them. In this way, you too shall keep your world intact amid the vast and drifting spaces of existence.

And so the lesson stands: stability is not always given—it must be created. Whether in the silence of orbit or the storms of earthly life, those who endure are not those who wait for gravity to return, but those who learn to fasten the pieces together with courage, wisdom, and care. This is the teaching of Sunita Williams, and it is a torch for all who must hold their world steady in the shifting winds of time.