Native American Joy Harjo simply states in his "This I Believe," “I believe in the sun; in the tangle of human failures of fear, greed, and forgetfulness, the sun gives me clarity.”
Perhaps this clarity that the sun offers is what draws many of us to its golden splendor that often paints alluring peach portraits across the blazing afternoon sky. In this unceasing world, the sunset provides a natural indulgence to the restless soul. It serves as an excuse to stop for a minute and “smell the roses,” a daily habit easily overlooked by the incessant glances at news feeds, hearted pictures on Instagram, or incoming text messages on one’s phone. Culturally consumed by technology and its sometimes confusing messages, the natural world’s setting sun offers an evanescent moment of clarity.
Although temporary, the sunset gifts us with a present almost enjoyable as its hues, a moment of reflection. In this moment of reflection, here are a few thoughts to ponder:
1. Color
Some of the most magnificent colors exist in the sky. Not even Apple or retina display can compare to the true effect of the vivid magentas, fuchsias, peaches or indigos one could capture in this sunset like I did. So, appreciate the color while it's ablaze in the sky and take an image to savor the moment.
2. Serenity
The sunset is another reason to sit back and appreciate the beauty that surrounds us. In this sunset, the firing sky highlights the tranquil waters of a peaceful day spent on the ocean with family and friends. The sunset can shine on the best part of the day like the perfectly calm waters of the very turbulent sea. How does it elicit your inner zen?
3. The sunset is the same sun that is shared by all.
It crosses all cultures. Just think, the same sun setting on you and your buddy's softball game or daily afternoon activity is the same sun that is rising in a foreign land. It unifies us and is the same presence of light we all share.
4. It is free.
A lit sky comes without a price tag. Some of life's greatest moments are, indeed, priceless.
5. What we see isn't all there is.
While the sun itself may not always be visible in a sunset, beautiful colors still exist around it. However, the chaos to burn the sun's glowing fire still exists. In life, sometimes we only witness a person's pleasing facade while turmoil exists underneath his or her appearances. Like the sunset's colors without the sun, there is always more to something than what appears.
6. Clouds exist even in nature's prime.
What is considered one nature's most dazzling daily spectacles can be accompanied by clouds. The clouds neither add nor subtract from the beauty of the event. In fact, they make it that much more interesting. Life's challenges like clouds just add that much more intrigue to your character.
7. Surroundings matter.
What surrounds the sunset gives off certain vibes. These trees certainly exhibit more wilderness aesthetics than an ocean sunset would. Who we surround ourselves with does the same.
8. Red sky at night, sailor's delight; red sky at morn, sailors take warn.
The old saying is true. The sun dictates the path we travel and whether or not we hit the sea the next day. The Native Americans have good reason to worship the sun; it dictates so much of our daily life.
9.Catching the jewel.
A friend once taught me that if you catch the setting sun on the ocean at the very second it sun touches the ocean's horizon, you can see a green flash. If you are lucky enough to catch this green flash known as the “Green Emerald,” you are richer in experience than you would have ever thought.
10.The sunset suggests there’s a force larger than us.
Regardless of one's beliefs, somewhere beyond our control the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. The sun is in the solar system and we simply exist in this entity. The sunset allows us to recognize that there are events we can not orchestrate. Some things are just beyond our power. This notion has the ability to turn our thinking upside down.
11. Daily Closure
The sunset wraps up the events of the daylight and allows one to think of how they shined. Even if the day was not the best, the sunset lights hope on a new day. "After all, tomorrow is a new day!" as Margaret Mitchell uses as her mantra in her civil war novel, "Gone With the Wind." So let the breezes blow over and await the new.
