When you’re at sea for weeks, and you see nothing but clouds and water and sky and read an occasional book, you often talk about the climaxes rather than the duldroms, which we happen to be in right now. The wind has all but ceased with a little less than 300 miles left to go to Cabadelo (current position: 8°11’27” South 30°19’1″ West). I just put up the asymmetrical spinnaker by myself. It’s been really light wind and it’s easier to manage when the wind isn’t blowing it around. We’ve been been running the motor all night. As tempting as it is to leave the spinnaker up at night in these light-wind conditions, trying to take it down in the dark should a squall appear, is more challenging than the temptation.
I hope you’ll forgive my focus on two things that happen in my life every day. The sunrise and the sunset. I find that quite often, unless there is a whale or dolphins or some other exciting event, that the sunrises and sunsets are often the climaxes of my day. So it will be no different today as I share with you some thoughts about the sunrise and sunset. I wrote the sunrise thought this morning as I watched it rixse and the sunset last night as I watched it go down.
Sunrise
An army of clouds await the rising sun
An army dispersed, to and fro
Some near the horizon, some in the heavens
All hoping to block the sun’s arrival
All hoping in vain
For the sun doth rise, nonetheless
And its rising is wonderful
Bringing warmth and life to all it touches
And sunburn to those of us with lack of pigmentation in our bodies As the sunrise approaches, the clouds double down and start to thicken As if their girth will scare the sun away
But, alas, ’tis fruitless to think thus
And fruitless to stop the sun from shining
On the horizon it has arisen, a golden-colored fire beneath the clouds and highlighted in their fringes
As if encapsulating them and making them part of its rise
And the rest of the clouds bow in its honor
Sunset
The sun attempted to go down gracefully, full of light,
but the rain clouds were angry at his brilliance and tried to pull him down into their shadows.
“We’ll block out the sun to fill the earth with despair,” they said.
But they understimated the sun. The more they tried to cover him, the more he decided to shine, knowing it would be 12 hours before he could shine again on this part of the earth. He noticed that the clouds had rain in them, for they were rain clouds. He used the rain to reflect his light and create colors he couldn’t have made on his own.
The storm clouds huddled together and tried to block his light once more, but by bundling together they left patches of open sky which, when reflected by their own water, the sun shone even brighter in those areas, once again creating a more brilliant sunset than he could have by just being him, alone on the horizon.
Broad strokes of orange and pink paint the sky. Texture, given by the clouds, adds wonder to the beauty of the sky. Rain showers on the horizon add yet another layer of beauty, like dark and sheer curtains hanging in front of the orange and pink sky, as if it were a performance.
The further past the horizon the sun sets, the more reflection occurs and the colors and shades magnify and become more pronounced. What a glorious sunset it is.
When rain clouds set in on your own life, remember that you are brighter and more glorious than them and you can outshine them and use them to create an even more beautiful life despite them. Use them to your advantage. Find a way. Use them as a reminder that you are more beautiful and full of light than the clouds that weigh heavy on your mind. <>
Thanks again for following along. Be sure to subscribe below by email to get new updates, especially when I’m at sea and can’t post to my personal Facebook page. Or you can follow my posts on Facebook by liking my blog page, Living Large by Living Little. You can also find me and follow me on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social media by searching for the same name and following me there.
—-
Delivered by Iridium satellite
Living Large by Living Little! 