Sunsets and Sunrises

I've always loved sunsets. It's not anything I'd ever given much thought to; aside from the aesthetic beauty of fiery clouds falling to blood oranges on the horizon, there was just something that pulled at my heart.

I also love sunrises. Not so much the fact that I'm awake to see the sun come up, but... just something that pulled at my heart. My "Watch the sun come up New Year's day" thing is an offshoot of this.

Over the past three weeks or so, I've watched the sun rise nearly every morning. Perhaps only via the indirect lightening of my surroundings with that first ray of direct light finally hitting a sleeping cat, but on my more troubled or quiescent mornings I've sat and waited for the sun to kiss my face.

Yesterday I watched the sun set from my new roof. This morning I also watched the sun rise from the roof. Neither case was planned; I was out and about doing something unrelated when I noticed that the light was...OMFG-run-and-get-a-camera-and-find-the-ladder!

Interestingly enough, this sunset and sunrise was punctuated by ten glorious hours in bed, mostly asleep! I still carry a significant sleep deficit, but a few nights like this one will leave me on top of the world.

But I don't expect that to happen, for the same reason that I find sunsets and sunrises so compelling. They are part of a natural cycle of beginnings and endings. Saddened by the end of the day, Uplifted by the birth of the new.. and the raw beauty of it all.

This past month has seen new beginning, and many more endings; some immediate, some long past yet never accepted. It has been an often violent ride, with one part of holding on for dear life while another kicks the beast ever harder. On one hand it's been highly illuminating yet... the ever-present question of "now what?" is never satisfied for long. But at least I have a general direction now!