Earlier this year, I had the privilege of sharing at ÜberConf, a software developer conference near Denver, Colorado. West Virginia is definitely home, but Colorado is a pretty special place too. I mean, Colorado and West Virginia are both states that John Denver chose to write songs about, so I’m not alone in my appreciation.
From the hotel where my wife, my daughter and I were staying, we were able to witness some pretty tremendous views of the Front Range, and, as in years past, we have spent at least one day of our stay in Colorado exploring the wonder and altitude of the Rockies. This year we were able to travel the Guanella Pass with some of our good friends, and I was grateful for the opportunity my daughter had to spend some time at altitude near Mount Bierstadt, the first 14’er my wife and I ever climbed.
As our time at the conference was coming to an end, we were able to watch the sun slowly and spectacularly set behind the Front Range. And as I think back to witnessing this Rocky Mountain sunset, I think about the gifts we are given every day, if we are watching. Every day, the sun rises and the sun sets in spectacular ways, greeting us and saying goodbye in a compelling rhythm. Magical moments fill our days, but dawn and dusk in particular seem like a particularly incredible gift.
While the sun rises and sets with a daily rhythm, we don’t always get the privilege of witnessing these moments. Sometimes there is cloud cover. Sometimes we are sleeping, or busy with other activities. But, when we can carve time, our lives are better for it. My hope for you is to find a moment in the next week to witness the magical gift of a sunrise or sunset. May we each slow down our lives enough to appreciate these gifts.
