Here’s the truth of the “matter”:

When you gaze at a galaxy through
your telescope (or at Andromeda with
your naked eyes) what you see are
photons from the galaxy, which have traveled
a long way (in the case of Andromeda, which
is 2.5 million light years away, they have traveled–
you guessed it–2.5 million years) to
enter your eyes and be absorbed by your retinas,
becoming–in physical reality–part of your body

I have been an amateur astronomer since I was a child
and, therefore, I carry the light of hundreds of galaxies
within my body–the energy of ancient places 
belongs now to me

the same thing happens when I gaze
at you