I sit on the beach and watch as the sun sinks low toward the horizon. Already the water glistens as it reflects the brilliant white light. I am here on the shores of Lake Michigan watching yet another sunset. What is it about the sunset that draws us to this daily event?
In more than a half century of living, I have been blessed to see hundreds and hundreds of sunsets. I never grow tired of them — never grow tired of watching the sun sink below the horizon in a fantastic array of oranges, yellows and reds. I am forever in awe of the afterglow after the sun has set, with its shades of pink, violet and purple cast upon a canopy of lingering clouds. I am always amazed as the water turns to liquid gold as if the sun is melting into the lake water.
Through most of my life I have been fortunate to have had wide open places to watch the sun set below the horizon. As a kid I would pause my work, whether from the seat of a tractor, the top of a silo or among the cows in the pasture, to watch the sun set amongst the open fields that surrounded our farm. When I was older I would have to settle for seeing the sun sink behind the tops of buildings or homes, then wait for the afterglow to light up the sky above. Vacations to Lake Michigan also meant beautiful, unhindered vistas of the sunset unless the horizon was socked in by clouds. Over the years I’ve learned sunsets are more enjoyable when shared with others.
I have no answer to what draws us to watch the sunset. Perhaps it is the symmetry of the day; the ending of another day and the hope of tomorrow. It might be the quiet peace we find in a moment of solitude as we watch the daylight fade into a spectacular display of colors. Whatever it might be, I cannot escape feeling blessed every time I view this incredible part of God’s creation; incredibly thankful that I have been given another day.
© 2020 CGThelen
#Retrospective: This post first published May 20, 2020.
The Next Half Century 