Sunset in Austin

In a sunset, there can be color, drama and intensity, serenity, hope. Yes, it signifies the end of a day and metaphorically can represent the end to almost anything. With it, after the sunset, comes the hope of a new day and a new beginning. In this sense, a sunset is anticipated and not feared.

A beautiful sunset is sought by many, from an endless array of locations and venues. Many will stop everything they are doing to experience a beautiful sunset.

A sunset can be divided into three parts: the events that lead up to it, the sunset itself, and the dawn that follows it.

The events that lead up to the sunset are, by definition, the spinning of Earth on its axis and the specific combination of gases and particles in the atmosphere. These create the sunset and its color and intensity ~ or at least that is what I remember from physical science, with the understanding that science is NOT my forte. Applied to everyday life, those 'gases' and 'particles' as they are represented in our lives as we live them every day can be mellow or intense, represented by an argument with the boss, a missed credit card payment, an injured child. Any of the typical things that each of us experiences regularly.

The events in our lives can also be positive and invigorating, like a walk on the pier with a best friend, or an email from a long lost relative.

These are the particles and the gases....

The sunset itself represents the end. Whether you view it as a grateful ending to a horrific day, a calm refuge that you can escape into, or a culmination of the perfect day....a sunset is the end. The word 'end' does not have to be negative...or absolute.

Because on the other side of the sunset, the end, comes the dawn, and a new beginning. A new day, a new life, a new thought, a new perspective. Key word: NEW. Refreshed, invigorated, revitalized.

Tonight, I am truly experiencing a beautiful sunset in Austin. I have weathered the good and the bad of my day, actually the past years leading to this. Everything from watching my children mature and in fact thrive through a horrific set of circumstances that they had no control over, to stubbed body and bruised egos, to new friends and fresh perspectives. Murphy's Law tried to rule me over and over and over and over.....

Like I said, particles and gases. Some good, some bad. It has been difficult to wade through at times.

But, I sit here on the patio of my new place, on the walkway to a new dawn of a new life. In a few days, I will be able to look back and truly experience the sunset in all its luster.

Better still, I will be able to look to the dawn...and with it more sunsets.