Look to the Sky

There are times in our lives when we're feeling down. When nothing is beautiful anymore, and we just don't think there's a reason to get up in the morning. Nature itself is proving us wrong. Teaching us to just hold on, look for the beauty in everything, and if all else fails, just look to the sky for guidance and wisdom. And here it is.

The sun rises and sets every morning without complaining. Even when it is blocked by clouds or fog, it still rises all the same. It never begs to sleep in, or tries to go down faster (although some days tend to fly by fast enough that it feels as if it truly has). When it does rise, it offers us one of the most beautiful scenes we will ever witness-- the lightening of the sky, the changing colors, the perfectly spherical sun in the deepest shades of red and orange, the yellow or pink hue that the world takes on briefly, coloring our surroundings in a new spectrum... We get to see everything in a different light (literally) and watching the darkness recede, it's like seeing the world for the first time. Shapes and colors coming into view, getting clearer by the minute. The horizon is a picture more beautiful than any painting can capture. If that isn't beauty, then I don't know what is.

During the day, the clouds are always putting on a show, dancing across the sky while twisting and turning themselves into all sorts of shapes and designs. You can get so much inspiration from them. For painting, for writing, for drawing, even for redecorating your house! True story. ;)

On bad weather days, don't let the grey skies and pouring rain get you down. Remember that the only reason it's raining is to make things grow, to wash out the old and the bad energy, and to revitalize our Earth. Let the cooling rain wash over you. Or, just wait it out. After every storm, if you look for it, however barely visible or clearly obvious it may be, there is always a rainbow to brighten your day. Rainbows... oh, rainbows. So many colors... I know in school they teach you that a rainbow only has six colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Well, take a closer look at that rainbow you see in the sky. There are colors in-between colors, shades and hues that don't even have names yet! Crayola does a fair job of putting a name to every color, but come on. Nature has no limit! Imagine all the colors that we can't even see with our eyes! A rainbow is nature's way of telling us that there are NO LIMITS on what you can do. Even things you can't even imagine yet. =)

 At the end of the day, as the sun nears the horizon once more-- this time leaving us until the dawn arrives again-- do not be overcome by the idea of darkness. The sun even leaves us with beauty. The colors in the sky don't just "fade away" but instead fade INTO the darkness, turning to shades of a foggy slate (on those brighter evenings when even the sunset doesn't strip the sky of light) or slowly changing into a deep sapphire, sparkling with stars.






The sunset is arguably the most beautiful scene on the planet. It seems to say, "endings are not forever, and they do not have to be sad or lonely." You just have to find the beauty in it, and know that even though the sun is setting, it will rise again. The colors are perhaps to remind us of the beauty we will find again when we wake. If the sunset was the last thing I ever saw in my life, I don't think I would be disappointed.


 

Even in darkness, there is still light. After sunset, the stars come out to play, doing their own dance across the night sky. Some people even seek out the darkest places in their area just for the chance to see more stars at once. They stand as symbols of guidance to wanderers and seafarers, gifts of gods and goddesses in ancient times, and a blanket of wonderment to any who will glance their way. They join up to form constellations, tell stories, and invoke our imaginations to the most wild fantasies we have. Imagine how far away they are, what life forms exist closer to them, if any of those stars are suns in their own galaxies... so many questions we'd like to ask those stars, if only they could answer.

And the brightest symbol of the night, whether waxing or waning or full, is our beautiful moon. Watching the moon throughout each month-- changing, getting bigger, then smaller again, and always coming full circle-- is just another way of nature teaching us about the Circle of Life. If your fortune in life seems to be diminishing, don't worry. At your lowest point, you will find new strength, new meaning, new motivation... Stay vigilant, and in time you will be whole once more.

Nature gives us so much to think about, and so much wisdom. When all else fails, just remember to look to the sky.



*About the pictures*
I took all of these pictures myself, all with the camera on my phone. They are taken right here on my property. The sunrise from my bedroom window, the rainbow and moon from my front pasture, and all of the sunsets from the tailgate of my truck. Little fun fact: that moon picture is of the blue moon, on 8/31/12.