Arizona sunsets make me feel fine

“Why today, of all the days, did I leave my camera home?”

The low angle of the sun illuminates the spines of the cacti, outlining their dark silhouette with a halo of light.

The mountains behind them, normally a muted brown color, shine pink, with vast sweeping shadows of indigo.

The full moon hovers low, just above the mountain tops, bigger and brighter than usual.

Mother nature felt like showing off tonight.

I grew up here. I’ve seen thousands of Arizona sunsets. And about once a week, I see one that makes me react like I’ve never seen one before.

I adore these Arizona sunsets.

You know how some types of beauty inspire you so much that it almost hurts?

Beauty that fills you up with so much reverence that no matter what you say or do, you can’t even come close to expressing all the appreciation you feel inside?

Arizona sunsets do that to me.

I could be distracted and in my head all day, but that sunset brings me back to the world and fills me with a love and gratitude for life that is pure.

Pure, as in untainted by thoughts. I’m not in love with the sunset “as long as it stays nice like this”. I’m not content with my life “except for X, Y, and Z”.

For a fleeting but priceless moment, the sunset wipes away all that mental noise and puts a big dumb grin on my face, and everything is just perfect as it is.

Couldn’t be better.