Every night I drive into my yard after work, step out of my car and look at the sky. I am a cloud watcher, a sky gazer. And one of the most beautiful views in the world is in my own front yard. The sun sets to the right of my house, and there is a clear view of the nearby woods, silhouetted against the setting sun.
Tonight, as I often do, I spent a few moments just watching the sky. I live in the country, so there were no noises, and it was eerily silent. Even the dogs weren't barking their usual greeting from the back yard.
And so I stood, and looked. I get a bit melancholy this time of year, and I was a bit sad as I looked at the sky. But as I stood, and marveled at the beauty of the clouds and colors, I felt my spirits begin to lift. Suddenly I feel as weighed down by mortality, and an inner peace began to take over. I pulled my iPhone out of my pocket, and shot a photo of the sunset, almost as an afterthought.
As I stood and continued to look, breathing in the crisp coldness of the autumn air, I realized that I wasn't me, I was part of a bigger whole. A small microcosm of something so perfect, and that everything was as it should be.
Slowly I turned and walked into the house, feeling renewed. Centered.
...life is very good.
~cath
find me @jonesbabie on Twitter
We walk the same path. And it's beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThank you Thom. You always say the perfect thing.
DeleteLife truly is good. Great, great truth here in your post.
ReplyDeleteIt helps me to keep my life in perspective Shelly. :D Thanks so much for your words...
DeleteTruly a lovely post. I have a similar ritual, although mine involves looking out over the ocean and is more of a sporadic activity than a daily one. Meditating on the vast, mysterious beauty of nature though, even for a few minutes once in a while, can make the stresses of the day drain away into meaninglessness and leaves instead a wonderful sense of peace...until I get home that is... ;-)
ReplyDeleteYou are right Rachel, water is calming as well, and when I am near it I take time to just stop and relax. I have always been a watcher of nature, and as I get older, the things I notice now have so much more meaning. Thanks for your wonderful comment.
DeleteWow, Cathy, what photography and what words. I can relate so much to your feelings, this is a melancholy time of the year and we need to feel fed spiritually as well. Thank you so much for your lovely thoughts, life is indeed good.
ReplyDeleteYes Barbara, as the year draws to a close, it signifies the end of many things, and each one that passes makes me a little more melancholy, but for some strange reason it only bothers me in the fall. :D Autumn is also my favorite season, strangely enough. What a dichotomy. Thanks for your lovely comment.
DeleteI love those moments...
ReplyDeleteme too Janine, and they are so fleeting...
DeleteI must admit that the best thing about autumn/winter is the amazing colours of the sky. Thanks for reminding us of this!
ReplyDeleteI love winter and autumn skies, and each day is magic to me, Muriel. :D
DeleteThe cloud and the sky are funny things. Sometimes they fill you with ecstacy and sometimes with a deep feeling difficult to explain...
ReplyDeleteStrong emotion either way Hajra, and I agree with you. Sometimes it can't be explained, it just has to be experienced.
DeleteWow! This is why we need to take more time out of our days to just be. Thanks for sharing this peaceful moment with us!
ReplyDeleteI am glad you enjoyed it Samantha! It is sometimes hard to make myself slow down. The evening sky is my cue, every day.
DeleteThose are priceless moments. If there's one thing I don't miss about Chicago, it's the light pollution. Here at our new home, the stars are always so visible at night and I adore them. They never fail to give me that sense of wonder. Oh, and thank God for our camera / smart phones or gadgets too! ;-))
ReplyDeleteAmen to the smart phones! That is one thing I love about the country, I can see the sky, really see it, and it is a marvelous thing, changing from moment to moment. What a treat for my eyes, and my heart.
DeleteI do this too as a way of centering myself and reminding me how inconsequential I am in the scheme of things. Beautiful colours - thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteIt puts everything in perspective doesn't it Lucy? Glad you enjoyed it.
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