Fading Light, Illuminating Thoughts: Join My 365-Day Peaceful Photo Challenge
DAY 120. Curating peace through photos, with and without words.
Yesterday, after a week of primarily overcast gray-weathered skies, a pink, purple, and orange sunset appeared and danced across the sky.
While the day was ending, I became excited, thinking the weather was turning and a beautiful sunrise would also skirt the sky in the morning.
The awareness of my shifting thoughts to sunrise surprised me and revealed my natural propensity as a morning person. I stepped onto the balcony to bask in the beauty and reorient myself to the present moment. Then, I went to every window to view the sunset through the lenses of each.
Nothing was wrong with having excitement and anticipation for the coming day. But I was alive now and wanted to treasure this moment.
Sunsets are powerfully symbolic:
Fading daylight is a reminder to rest and rejuvenate.
Sunsets give us hope that though the darkness descends, the light will cycle back in the morning.
Sunsets’ transience points to the clock and passage of time, encouraging us to appreciate and savor each blessed moment in an impermanent life.
The closing of the daily cycle is also a time to reflect honestly on experiences and accomplishments, exercise grace towards ourselves where we may have fallen short, and set new goals and self-expectations.
Seneca said, “I use this opportunity daily pleading my case at my own court. When the light has been taken away…, I examine my entire day, going through what I have done and said. I conceal nothing from myself. I pass nothing by. I have nothing to fear from my errors when I can say: ‘See that you do not do this anymore. For the moment, I excuse you.’”
In the magic of this moment, I rested in the external wonder of nature’s beauty, internal self-reflection and peace, and thankfulness for the powerful reminder of the beauty and significance of each day.
What are your thoughts at sunset? How does this time of day influence your perspective on daily life?