Tonight when I got home from work, I raced into the house, peeled off my work clothes and slid into my PJ's (priorities, people), grabbed my camera and went back outside to capture the sun as it made its way further West. It has been hazy and gray here, in that quintessential, almost-Winter, evening-before-Christmas-Eve kind of way, and despite the thick clouds blanketing Haleakala, a small pocket opened up in the sky just enough to allow the burst of orange rays to shine through and say goodbye to another day.
When I am able to steal moments like this, by myself, surrounded by a silence so undeniably still I can hear the sound of my own heartbeat, I feel closer to God. And I am grateful.
I am grateful for eyes that allow me to drink in the daily visual splendor of a sunset against a blank canvas. I am grateful for ears that allow me to absorb the symphony of everyday life, while still being able to appreciate the slivers of silence in between. I am grateful for Life. And Love. Family and Friends. I am grateful to experience--truly experience--emotion. The happy and the sad. Because if I can feel, I'm alive.
Life is filled with infinite goodness, but it can also be hard sometimes. I am still nursing a broken heart and although some moments in the day allow me to feel like my old self again, I am just as quickly reminded of my reality and my family's loss. I'm not going to lie; it's hard. But I am trying with everything in me, to see only the good in everyone and in everything around me. And I am rarely disappointed, because really, it's everywhere. My heart still beats...and I love.
I love that tomorrow is Christmas Eve and that despite The Hubs and I being away from our families on the mainland, we still have one another and our own Christmas Eve and Christmas Day steeped with our own traditions, to look forward to. I love the idea that for many, these days are filled with happiness, merriment and delight...how amazing would it be if we could all carry this kind of Chosen Joy every day of the year?
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Merry Christmas, friends. Or as we say it here in Hawaii, Mele Kalikimaka. Wishing you all a joyous holiday. Thank you for the love, support and friendship you have all given to me in the few short months I have been blogging here.
Love & Aloha to you all!
To be able to see a sky that looks like that? I can't even imagine!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas.
CHOSEN joy...you couldn't be more right about that, Angie : ) I thoroughly enjoyed reading your special post this morning. The picture you captured of the sky...breathtaking and beautiful.
ReplyDeleteWishing you a very MERRY Christmas, friend : )
Lots of love,
Laura
Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteWishing you much more joy tomorrow and in the days to come. I remember many years ago hearing from a friend whose baby had died, that God broke her heart and then He came along side her and took care of her as it began to heal.
ReplyDeleteHoping you and Phil have a glorious Christmas and that the sun shines for you!
Gabe
Love this post, especially "life is full of infinite goodness" Sometimes I dont feel like life is full of good, and I have to reflect and remember how good God is. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteAngie, I can't even tell you what a smile that picture brought to my face. I've been sick all day with my boyfriend. It's awful, we have so much this week to do. We're both in a wedding, I'm doing a speech and I'm sitting here feeling sorry for myself. That picture is so beautiful. We are so lucky to see. I may not be in the best of health today, but I'm still here and I need to be grateful for that. Thank you for reminding me of that. Also, I know this must have been a hard holiday without your brother. I'm sending you a hug! xoxo
ReplyDeleteKate
You have a beautiful spirit!! Life can be SO hard... but Joy and Peace are a beautiful gift we can choose to enjoy every day!! You live in such a breathtaking place... the beach always brings me closer to God as well ... when I am still in front of it! =) Saying a prayer for you... that each day you can grab a hold of those thoughts!! Enjoy the fun/wonderful memories and of course allow your heart to weep a little! my mom died way way too young... and 10 years later... my heart still weeps =)
ReplyDeleteThat photo is beautiful. I loved reading this post. Hope you had a great Christmas weekend!
ReplyDeleteA belated mele kalikimaka to you! On our last trip to Maui we arrived the day after Christmas. I remember driving along the Honoapiilani Highway and seeing all of the Christmas decorations and lights among the palm trees- and being from freezing cold snowy Chicago it made me chuckle...I just wasn't used to seeing it like that. Now every Christmas since that last trip when I'm freezing my behind off I think of Maui and all of the palm trees in paradise aglow with Christmas lights. I am missing Maui, can you tell?!?! ;)
ReplyDelete