Sunset Paddle
By Mary Anne Smrz
Published by NBCS, Inc. at Smashwords
Copyright 2011 Mary Anne Smrz
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Email: red-kayak@comcast.net
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Sunset Paddle
by Mary Anne Smrz
I am instinctively an early morning paddler. I love to get out when the day is just awakening to experience the freshness of morning on the water and watch nature as it arises to greet the day.
Today I thought I would try something a different. It has been a dreary, rainy day but this evening, the sky has cleared, the temperature has risen to 70° and the lake is calm. As I sit on my porch looking out on the water, I debate whether to venture out for one last paddle before I head home tomorrow. My yellow lab, Bayfield, is having surgery next week to repair a torn cruciate ligament in her right knee, and due to her post-surgery 8-12 weeks of recovery and confinement, I am not sure when I will be back here. Once again, I ask myself the question I so often do, “If not now, when?” My favorite author and mentor Joan Anderson asked that question of us on a retreat to Whidbey Island, WA, last year and I return to it again and again. I decide NOW!
I grab my yellow paddling jacket, my Life is Good™ paddling hat, my paddle and jump in my little red kayak. I absolutely love that fact that in five minutes I go from pondering to paddling and take to the water. The bay is calm and as the warmth of the setting sun envelopes me, I find this a peaceful way to end the day. I head out into the bay, set my paddle across the boat, lean back and close my eyes, and listen intently to the chirping birds and the sounds of the crickets. My heart fills with gratitude for our time here and for this glorious evening on the water.
I recently watched a documentary entitled How the Universe Works: Extreme Stars and remind myself that the sun is really a star. The documentary opens with the following quote, “Our destiny is linked to the destiny of stars.” What an interesting concept to ponder.
I have always been fascinated by stars, planets, moons and the galaxies. I love the vastness of it all and the feeling of connectedness to something so much greater than myself. When I was a little girl on our family vacations to the Wisconsin northwoods, I’d lie on the pier at night and immerse myself in the night sky. I was mesmerized by the incredible number of stars and the hint of the Northern Lights. I especially enjoyed watching for shooting stars and would count how many I saw on any given night.
The documentary provides some interesting statistics about the universe: there are over 100 billion stars in our galaxy; there are more stars than grains of sand on the earth; the biggest star discovered is one billion times bigger than our sun, which is one million miles in diameter; one million earths can fit into our sun; our sun has been shining for 4-6 billion years and is 93 million miles from the earth.
These numbers are more than I can comprehend, but they remind me that we live in a very brief period in the history of the universe. Each day, each life, is just a speck in eternity. I am “star struck” by the feeling that my time on this planet is so very brief, and therefore not to be wasted, but filled with purpose each day. I feel insignificant in the enormity of the universe.
As I watch the sun set over the horizon, I relish this moment of wonder with little bits of “stardust” entering my very core. I realize how blessed my little life is, and I am thankful that, according to the scientists, our sun will be around for a few more billion years. We live in the golden age of the universe and our sunlight, or starlight, is here to accompany us on our journey. What an awesome closing of the day!
As you ponder your journey through life, what sprinkles of stardust brighten your way? Is there a bigger question to answer for yourself about your purpose? Close out the day today in the light of the sun, and feel its warmth and peacefulness. We are all connected in powerful and mysterious ways through our place in the universe.
About the Author
Mary Anne Smrz is a paddler, who uses insights gained on the water to enrich her own life and the lives of others. In her life of outdoor passions, she kayaks, loves to spend time in nature and hikes with her yellow lab, Bayfield. She writes from her home in Wisconsin. The balance and focus she gains from being “of the water” enriches every facet of her life and career.
