Moments of Illumination
Need some inspiration? A bright spot for this busy part of the year when the days rush past and daylight hours grow ever shorter?
I’ve got two words for you.
Sunrise.
Sunset.
As we approach the winter solstice, sunrises and sunsets in central Colorado have been sweeping across the sky in blazing oranges and reds. People pause and pull their cellphones out, attempting to capture the wonder and post it somewhere—anywhere.
Set against the mountain backdrop, these brilliant light shows almost make it worth the shorter daylight hours.
If I could, I would linger on a trail beside each of you , watching the sun slip behind the mountains and marveling at the array of colors stretching across the sky.
Since I can’t, I’m sharing with you a few ideas inspired by sunrise and sunset moments.
Life is fleeting
If you want to capture that sunset with your camera, you shouldn’t wait. Go now. Conditions will not be the same in a minute. Everything could change in a fraction of a second. If you want to capture life in all its beauty, don’t wait. Do it now.
Don’t expect every day to be glorious
While some days come in or go out in a blaze of glory, many just quietly come to an end. Without fanfare, without people pausing to notice. So do humans.
Open admission
Sunsets are not available for only one set of people, exclusively. They aren’t influenced by political boundaries or philosophy. They shine over the mountains, the seas, the prairies, the deserts, the cities. And all the people who live in them. Try to remember that.
Remove the obstructions
Sunrises are not spectacular to those who sleep through them. It takes a certain amount of effort to see the beauty. A person can’t see it if they’re barricaded behind closed doors, with shades drawn, and eyes cast downward. We have to move away from the things that block the vision.
Block it or reflect it
It all depends which side of the light the clouds are on. They can remain low, and mask the sky with darkness, or rise above, and reflect the light in brilliant color. Clouds can’t choose their role. But people can.
Pause for Awe
Awesome and awe-inspiring are not the same. Awesome can be a new pair of sneakers. Awe-inspiring is heart-catching, breath-stealing, thought-provoking, and humbling. It’s important to pause for a moment and experience awe every so often. We need it.
Look to the heavens
At the start and end of each day, take a second to remember you can’t create something as vast and majestic as a sunset. We are small, and mostly insignificant. Know that there are things in this universe bigger and broader than you are. That knowledge? It’s a gift. It’s liberating.
Take the long road
The spectacular colors happen, in part, because of the angle of the light. It has to pass through more of the atmosphere to reach us, scattering more blue light, and intensifying the red and orange spectrum. Sometimes the most direct route is not the one that produces the most beauty. Sometimes the longer route is better.
Require reflection
You may have heard that air pollutants such as dust, smoke, or smog are what makes sunsets so remarkable. That isn’t necessarily true. When the air is full of those particles, the sunset is actually a colored haze. The brilliance of the colors is diminished, even though the whole sky may glow with it. The most vivid colors happen when the air is cold and clean and clear. Which do you like best? Don’t let someone else define beauty for you.
May the brilliance of the early morning and evening help breathe warmth and inspiration into your heart. Especially when the world grows gray and dreary, and hope and purpose are hard to find.
What have you learned from a sunrise or sunset? Want to share a bit of inspiration with us? Or where you were when you saw your favorite? Write it in the comments box below.
