I had just come off of six days of caregiving; a whirlwind between my son’s home visit and my mom’s unexpected needs. My house looked like it blew up! Unmade beds, dishes in the sink, piles of laundry in the bath and a stock pile of mail tossed on my kitchen table. I plowed through the day doing chores, sorting through emails and running errands. Before I knew it my stomach was rumbling and I realized it was close to dinner time and hadn’t stopped to eat. It was close to 5pm, I was tired and it was freezing outside. My inner voice said go to the store before it gets dark. My head said, “I really don’t need anything; it’s too cold outside.” I stayed put in my warm slippers and continued folding laundry. My inner voice kept nudging, just go, you won’t want to leave the house tomorrow, GO. This battle went on in my head for about ten minutes. Finally, I gave in. “Alright, I’ll go,” I said out loud, put on my coat and sneakers and hopped in the car.
As I drove down a long side road traveling west, I saw this bright fireball of light shining through the bare branches of the trees in the distance. The sun was setting, it was HUGE!
It must be very close to the earth, I thought. The sight of it took my breath away. Like a magnet, my car was pulled towards the sunset, bypassing the strip mall of stores. I pulled into the beach parking lot, threw my car into park and jumped out. Many voyeurs had already made their way to the sandy shoreline clicking their phones to capture a perfect sunset pic. The view was stunning, a sight so beautiful it lured you in, but at the same time its brightness was blinding. It was a perfect metaphor for the balance of life, the yin and yang of things.
It was a reminder of how amazing Mother Nature really is. How she creates each new day, paints every sunset, every sunrise and starry night in a new amazing way, every day. No two are ever the same. It was just what I needed, a dose of nature’s energy, a moment of natural normal.
So remember, the next time you set out on a trip to the store for milk, you may just end up with something more beautiful, more memorable, like a once in a lifetime sunset.
Pay attention to your inner voice, it can take you places you didn’t even know you needed to go; follow the sun.