Enough time with a friend and soon the things they love become the things you love!
I began taking photos of sunsets for Yvonne when I was making her a journal...I collected them. The collection has not stopped. I know, I know ...everyone collects sunset photos!
Here is the thing about sunsets for me: my friend Yvonne loves a beautiful sunset ...and she is blind. With medically informed wisdom the doctors say she can't "legally" see. She still has minimal sight in one eye..and with that eye, she loves to watch the sun set.
I often wonder what she sees...how her brain interprets the light and color.
This summer I had the intense privilege of watching the sun go down over the Teton Mountains with Yvonne. We sat together in silence and enjoyed the experience together.
Despite the collected wisdom of the medical community Yvonne loves the beauty of the sunset. She moves past judgement and beyond limitation and finds joy. She presses beyond pain and loss and she finds the experience of beauty..anyway. She steals my excuses.
Places of pain and loss can rob us of life. We feel overwhelmed...we feel sad for ourselves (appropriately so), we get overwhelmed. I tend to avoid the places of loss and shamefully at times I run to escape the hurt.
Yvonne's ritual observance of the sunset reminds me to hold fast. Wait it out. Patiently endure. She proves that beauty can be found if you are courageous..if you dare.
May you find courage to behold the sunset today. Go to the places of pain and loss. See what beauty you can find there.
Find a great sunset!
Mr. Jim. I've throughly enjoyed all of these so far. :) Especially this one... don't worry, Yvonne convicts me all the time too. :)
ReplyDelete"Places of pain and loss can rob us of life. "
ReplyDeleteI can so relate to that Jim!