During these past few weeks I have had a feeling of going through some type of a withdrawal. I have surely missed my regular evenings at the beach for sunset. The weather has been a lot colder than usual and the red tide doesn’t make it for a pleasant meditation and breathing spot. I can’t stop coughing while I am there and that makes me uncomfortable. I find myself thinking of the sunset most every evening and decided to run with the feeling that motivated me to write about them.
Sometimes finding the words to express or define feelings seem a little easier at times than others. I know we have all had many different feelings about this past year 2020. I myself, went through heartbreak, loss of self and loss of drive, and to top it off, we entered into the pandemic phase, what in the world, right?!… My mind was a mess and my heart was down. I started to remember and focus on the moments where I find joy, like talking to God, riding my bike and going to the beach to watch sunset. I made them my priority, and rolled with each of them in search of peace.
I have lived in Naples, Florida for almost 16 years and enjoying sunsets here an average of twice a week and I have been blessed to travel to many places around the planet and there isn’t a sunset that I don’t love… They are all so unique, so different, so spectacular… Sunsets to me are like taking in a piece of heaven. Close to nature, to good, to love, to the infinite sky and mainly, closer to God.
I take my chair, my serong, my cooler and my camera. I sit down in a spot where I can relax, I have a front row seat to the show and close enough to the water that I may dip in if desired. I love to feel the breeze and hear the waves crash on the shoreline. These all motivated me to begin practicing meditation. With the cluster my mind had, I wanted to allow serenity to sink in and this is where I began my appreciation meditation (that is what I like to call it). Here, I feel connected to God, light, source and it is a very humbling time.
Imagine showing up to a live art show, the artist is painting on the other side of the canvas so you don’t get to see them perform. The artist starts drawing out this magical piece on the double sided canvas and you can see it unfold right before your eyes. This painting is breathtaking, full of colors like yellow, orange, reds, pinks, blues, purples, every color coming together and aligning to perfection to create the most beautiful piece of art.
There’s a profound sense of peace when you find that of what you love, and that is what I feel when I am watching a sunset, it is food for my soul. This is the place where I free my mind and the place that helped heal my inner being. I think of where I am in relationship to where I was, my accomplishments, my life and all of the blessings that surround me and I feel grateful. God puts on this heavenly show for me to witness, and it serves as a reminder of how precious this life is. Sunsets (sunrises too) to me, are the perfect depiction of what heaven is like, a bright, vastly colorful and magical place. One that isn’t far away, it is everywhere we choose to see it, especially within each one of us.
We all have different perspectives on things and that is what makes this life experience so fascinating. I don’t expect everyone to feel the same way that I do, but if you have felt down, confused or troubled, remember there is a place for you, one where to find peace and joy. Focus on your blessings and when you get out to “your place”, smile, and remember that you can also close out your day in a beautiful and great way!
Check out some of my sunset shots on Facebook and Instagram: Gladyschristinaphotography 🙂 (I hope you like)
