Walking on Wednesday ~ The Power of a Sunset

It is not for everyone....watching the sunset.
It is bit cliche, romantic types revel in the ease of this tool.
It is boring to some, not worth the effort to get to a great vantage point.

 And normally, it is not on my list of 'must-do's.
(I have seen more than my fair share of beautiful sunsets when we lived in the Caribbean, yes with my love too.)

But when my daughter's friend was visiting us from our old hometown, after days and days of rain and not being able to do too much, and worried she wouldn't get to enjoy the nature and beauty of the area (an important part of being here in my humble opinion), we decided to head up to Craggy Gardens to catch the sunset. We couldn't convince the boys to join us.

I was doing it for the girls, and hoping to get a little enjoyment for myself. That is my attitude going into it.

But once we were there, something happened. I could not avoid the feeling once there that I was so incredibly lucky to have this in my backyard. A surprising calm came over me.

There was someone in the clearing who was playing a flute of some type, and that, along with the birds, was the only noise there was. You could see forever, and the views were spectacular.

When we sat on the wall to enjoy the grand finale, all wrapped in our blankets (it was rather chilly up so high), feet dangling over the side, I was marveled at the beauty, the colors. 

I was awed by the vastness of the mountains, the pure nature as far as the eye could see, with only minimal hints of civilization like the thin line of road miles away. The view of mountain after mountain after mountain after mountain. Breathtaking on a normal day, but that day, with the sun slowly setting, it sunk into me and stopped me cold.

I noticed how dark the front mountains were...until a certain point. Then suddenly -the light hit hills that were unnoticeable just a minute before.

And then in another minute, more hills that were hidden suddenly became softly lit, showing the depth of the landscape that is normally overlooked.

The shadows, the soft light, the brilliant light, the colors. It was getting overwhelming. I was overcome, just in awe. THIS is what it is about - the beauty, the enjoyment, the possibilities.

I almost felt like a tear was trying to escape from my eye, the emotion was almost too much. But I didn't let it, I simply enjoyed the moment, knowing this would shape my path going forward. It was a reminder of how I was when we first moved here. How I embraced the possibilities, the awe of what the future may bring, the serene quiet beauty that we should live our lives with. I had lost this excitement of possibilities, I was weighed down by stress and making others happy and successful. I had lost my own possibilities along the way.

And when the sun finally completely disappeared under the lowest mountain top way off in the distance, it was a vibrant, hot red color, peeking through the clouds until it was gone. We got up, turned to get back in the car and head home, and we were treated with cool blue-gray rain clouds off in the distance on the other side of the road. We were slightly above those clouds, we were above it all. 

My phone camera was the only way I had to capture these beautiful moments. They don't do it justice. So, refreshingly, I am relying on my mind to keep the real brilliance of this sunset, and to keep this feeling that came over me. A photo can't do that anyways.

While we drove home, it started raining, like it had been all week. But I was different. I was determined to get back to living like I really wanted to live. Live enjoying every moment, enjoying my surroundings, my family, myself, embracing endless possibilities for being happy. Making a way to be able to do that successfully. 

The power of a sunset that the rain held off just long enough to enjoy. It is a simple, daily occurrence that is incredible each and every day, if only we notice it. That is how our lives should be ~ noticeably incredible each and every day.