Rising Importance Anonymous

The first time I truly appreciated the sunset was when I was 11 years old. My family decided to take a day trip to Devil’s Lake State Park where we spent the day swimming, hiking and lazing in the sun. Towards the end of the day my mom and I snuck up to the top of the bluffs and watched the sun disappear behind the horizon. I can’t picture what color the sky was, or the arrangements of the clouds that day; they were rather unremarkable. What I do remember, however, is how I felt at that moment. Sitting with my mom and watching the sun disappear below the horizon I was forced to be entirely present. I felt a sense of peace and well-being as I focused only on enjoying the moment. As the sky began to darken we made our way down the bluff and drove home, back to jobs and school and homework and friends; back to life.

Fast forward three years and a cancer diagnosis and I’m watching my mom take her last breath. The day my mom passed away, I was surprised as the sun crept lower and lower in the sky. It seemed as if it was only right that all time should stop. Previous to that moment, it was impossible to envision life moving forward without her. It only made sense that the world stop spinning on its axis; however, it kept turning...