Another summer day just as pretty as a peach. I sat outside watching the sky as the Lord drew some feather wisps of clouds with his white pastel on the dark blue sky canvas. Several clouds looked like large white peacock feathers. No snow white fluffy clouds today. The birds took pleasure in the newly filled feeders and clean cool water in the bird baths. The downy woodpeckers perched upside down on the suet baskets and enjoyed their Saturday’s brunch. The cardinals shared seeds with finches, titmice, chickadees, and wrens. The dumpy, rounded little wren, the smallest of his small numbered flock, can sing the loudest. He’s so pert. He struts around on the porch bannisters, then leans back filling his chest up with air, cocks his narrow tail up, and bursts forth with his heart song. Doesn’t look old enough to be searching for a mate. The wrens and their antics and curiosity always put a smile on my face.

I spent several hours reading in the swing today. I’m half way through reading Gone with the Wind. The burning of Atlanta must have been terrifying to live through. All the beautiful homes and farm land decimated during the Yankee army’s travels was sad. We are so spoiled in America with our freedoms. I know I don’t have the courage to live through a war on American soil. The collapse of the twin towers in New York was terrifying enough for me. Imagine trying to raise your family in a war torn country, trying to educate your children with the atrocities of war going on around your everyday life. I’m just grateful to live in my small southern town and I hope God will continue to bless us with our freedoms.

Watched the sun lay her head down tonight in a blaze of golden light. She had no clouds to touch her paint brush to so her setting was beautiful but muted. Sunsets are as unpredictable as the weather. No two sunsets are alike just as no two people are alike. Some days the sky is ablaze with raspberry, orange, and turquoise. Other days we only see the smallest hint of muted colors.

Our lives are comparable to the day’s sunrise and sunset. Some days we’re enamored with the beauty of the sunrise in our everyday living and other days we struggle just trying to get through the day till the sun sets. Sunrise represents birth and sunset represents the end of our journey. Sunsets always remind us of the normalcy of life. We know when the sun goes down it will rise again in the morning. To really see a sunset you just have to carefully watch the horizon and be patient for the palette of colors to evolve. Sunsets need clouds and moisture to paint a magnificent setting. Every process of a wondrous sunset is beautiful and so is life.

In our lives we have storm clouds to color our sunsets. These challenging times keep us moving forward through life. We weather these storm clouds of life with their ups and downs. We wait for the sun to paint these clouds with sunset colored hues of hope. Weathering these muted sunsets in our lives can bring great joy. We welcome the sunrise of another day and the chance to start over.

I’m reminded when the sun sets on the horizon that everything in nature takes a rest. I never thought about that till today. Sunsets are the last breaths of the day. Daylight has faded and the night is ushered in on the bright silver beams of the stars.

“May every sunrise hold more promise and every sunset hold more peace.” – Umair Siddiqui.