A sunset is, after all, a natural astronomical phenomenon. Scattered gas molecules and changing light waves.
Not a big deal, right?
Something that happens every day when our little rock (sorry, I’m not a flat-earther) sails around the monster gas ball we call the Sun in a solar system that is an infinitesimal blip in one of a billion galaxies.
Sometimes we witness the sunset, sometimes it’s cloudy or rainy and we can’t. The precise time is a mathematical calculation. Even my smartphone can tell me what time it will happen.
Ancient cultures to modern times have revered the sun and its daily trek across the sky, even to the point of worshiping the sun as a god.
And we still love sunsets. Some studies suggest why.
Relieves stress
Boosts well-being
Increases life satisfaction
Elevates mood
Helps us live in the moment
Turns everything into beauty
Considering the fifty dozen sunset photos I’ve saved in the cloud, I love them. What is the attraction for me? It might sound a little out there, but for me, the setting sun is a reminder of nature’s unconditional love and assurance that we did everything we could to make the most of today. And a reminder that if we are lucky, we’ll get another shot at making tomorrow even better.
What say you?
(All photos property of Candace Colt © 2018)