Although I know very little about the constellations and planets
and I’m surely no expert on weather or cloud formations, I’ve always been
intrigued and awed by the sky and its infinity.
When we were young
girls, my forever friend, Pam, and I used to refer to “God Skies” and “God
Clouds” after seeing too many televised versions of The Robe, The Ten
Commandments, and Ben Hur, where
God's presence would be made known by particular sky scenes—usually the sun's
rays angling out from behind clouds.
Since then, I have found
solace in those magnificent “God Skies.” Any burden that seems to be weighing
heavily on my shoulders lessens because I feel as if a greater power knows the
plan.
I also love
to watch the early morning sky. When all is still and the day is unfolding,
there is nothing as lovely as the dawn. It’s not unusual for me to find myself
unable to move away from the bedroom or kitchen windows, for the early-morning sky
is often a radiant shade of pink. How can one have a bad day when it
starts out with such majesty, beauty and tranquility?
The sky
at sunset also has a way of drawing my attention away from other matters. Often,
those evening skies are filled with sherbet colors of pink and orange. My late mom used to refer
to "sky blue pink," as a tongue-in-cheek color description. I
wonder if that phrase came about because of a sky like those I often see at
sunset.
The night
sky always used to captivate my parents' attention. Growing up in the
country, there were no city lights to obstruct our view of the celestial
nuances. My parents would sit outside in lawn chairs in our back yard on
summer evenings, gazing upward with appreciation. The wide expanse of
blackness, dotted with many bright and twinkling stars, makes one feel small in
the context of the cosmos.
My husband,
Larry, and I have had the opportunity to learn more about the night sky from
members of an area astronomy society who generously share their telescopes with
the curious at our local state park. We’ve seen planets, stars and
constellations in ways we could never enjoy with the naked eye.
Larry and I have
also attended lectures about solar eclipses and black holes. There is so much
to learn about that vast umbrella that we call the sky.
When life feels as
if it’s spinning too quickly, take a few moments to look up at the sky, whether
at sunrise, midday, sunset or in the dark of night. Spend a few moments in awe
of the infinite, and find peace.
