Week Six Sunsets

I just finished week six of my first semester of college. Between dance workshops and endless readings for homework, little surprises blessed me all week. I received my older mentor from the Honors Program this week. She is also a dance major, and she left two anonymous gifts on my doorstep throughout the week. One held Almond Joys (my favorite candy) and socks from Target (my favorite store), and the second gift was a stuffed horse (my favorite animal). These were adorable pick-me-ups for the long week, and I was so excited to finally meet her Saturday night on the beach.

Amidst ballet midterms and papers, this week has blessed me with beautiful California sunsets. When leaving Colorado, I feared I also was leaving behind the cotton candy skies and gorgeous mountains I love so dearly. In California, palm trees and buildings dot the horizon outside my dorm, making for an equally beautiful sky in the evenings.

I think the most fascinating sense of community arises from the sky. No matter where I am in the world, I know all my loved ones are watching the same sky, the same sun, the same stars. Yes, its appearance changes according to one's location, but we all share the features of the sky.

 Even though the mountains in California are distant and to the east, the sunsets are simply beautiful. I never fail to see God in the varying hues of the sky. No painter or photographer can capture the raw beauty of the setting sun. The sheer vast size of the sky never fails to give me hope.

As I look forward to week seven, the halfway point that is week eight, and all the weeks to come, I am so thankful for the little moments of joy that exist each and every day.