Dads and Sunsets
Last weekend a girlfriend and I were able to escape into a snowy white landscape to a log cabin in the middle of nowhere. Her husband wasn’t able to get away and I was invited to take his place. Truth be told, I’m pretty sure football lured him away which worked out perfectly for me. It was just far enough from home to make us step away from our normal day life, even for a brief moment.
We arrived mid-afternoon and immediately settled in. My friend had mentioned there was a beautiful spot to see the sunset, and we both jumped at the chance to experience the view. The owner mentioned it was a bit of a hike but we were determined. We were to go up the hill and would run right into a road, then follow that all the way to the top. We climbed up the snowy hill through the trees and fallen branches, and soon came across a snow packed lane that was maybe nine feet wide and only consisted of footprints and animal tracks, but we determined it must be the “road.”
We followed the road as it became steeper and steeper, trudging through the snow stopping only to catch our breath. It was quiet and peaceful with only birds spotted occasionally chirping and sitting among the empty branches. We passed one couple and asked them if the hike was worth it and they assured us it was. Onward to the top.
We finally saw the meadow with chairs and benches beckoning us to come sit and stay awhile, but we still had another 10 to 15 minute climb. Once at the top, I was ready to catch my breath and rest my bones. It was beautiful! A wide open meadow high on a hill, surrounded by rolling hills, trees, nature, farm fields, beauty and a bright yellow sun that was starting to set.
As we sat on the Adirondack chairs and took it all in, Karen mentioned we should call in our Dads, since both had passed we wanted them to be with us in spirit as we shared the moment. I don’t know exactly how to explain what happened next but neither one of us had ever experienced a sunset quite like it. I’m not even sure my words could describe what we witnessed.
The sun was setting through the barren trees and looked as if it was in motion, circling like a ferris wheel. It was bright white, bright pink and bright blue. It was almost like it was an optical illusion and at first I thought I was the only one seeing this spectacular show, but one of us described what we were seeing and the other chimed in with the exact same description. The breathtaking show went on for at least 20 minutes; changing colors and affects that included fireworks exploding from the middle of the sphere in celebration. With rays shooting out in shades of gold straight to the sky and down to the earth. It eventually turned to brilliant oranges and yellows. The sun hung in the sky as if it wanted to make sure we recognized the miracle happening right before our eyes.
We were both meant to be in the exact spot together to experience the beautiful miracle that unfolded around us. We knew we had witnessed something special and we were both confident our Dads were with us making sure we knew they were there. The time spent at the cabin was wonderful but the best memory of all was on the snowy meadow, high on a hill. I’ll take Dads and sunsets any day.
xoxox…..Sheryl
PS…..we took pictures but unfortunately they didn’t capture what we experienced.
