A sunset is a work of art that evolves. Not one moment exists without the others that came before it. On the first of October, I decided to not only watch the sunset form the golden hour to the blue hour, but also to post seven pictures of it during the week. So many times when I watch a sunset, I take many photos of it and only post one to represent it. But this sunset was so spectacular that I couldn’t pick just one.
The faint scent of the Arno—humid and green—is so rare during the day that I savor it while I stand on Ponte Santa Trinita looking out to the west. I close my eyes and inhale the air that whips around my face and tousles my hair. After holding it a few moments, I exhale it slowly.
When I open my eyes, I admire the water as it staggers along without a sound. My thighs lean against the stone wall as I snap photos every few minutes. My body naturally leans toward the sunset as if it were possible to dive into it and soak up its energy.
After peering up at the sky to watch the clouds transform as they inch across the sky, my gaze falls onto the Arno where the reflection of the city above shimmers. Boats and canoes pass by in both directions, disrupting the smooth surface for a few moments.
No matter what is happening behind me on the bridge, the sounds subside while I watch the sunset. Bicyclists ring their bells, lovers whisper, and groups of friends giggle.
Watching the sunset allows me a moment to breathe in the beauty around me as it changes. Not holding on too tightly to any one moment yet capturing it in a photo when the inspiration comes. But even then, I hold on to the moment loosely as if in a gentle embrace.
Every sunset is unique. Sometimes they are peaceful and other times dramatic. Sometimes they are magical and other times mystical. On this day, the sunset changed drastically. When I looked over my photos after returning home, it seemed like they could have been sunsets on different days.
Dedicating time to watching a sunset is a gift with or without photos. Sunsets always remind me that beauty is available in every moment. I have learned not to wait for a better moment to arrive, but to enjoy and appreciate the one I’m living now.
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