An End or a Beginning?

"All endings are also beginnings. We just don't know it at the time."

- Mitch Albom, Author

"Is it a sunrise or a sunset?" my dad asked me when I showed him this painting. That question prompted me to wonder if it mattered.

Is it the beginning of a day or the end of a day? Or is it the end of a night or the beginning of a night? And if it's beautiful, does it matter which it is?

Perhaps being present is what negates the importance of that question. If we are only aware of the beauty of the moment, we are not dwelling on the past - thinking about the ending of something. If we are only aware of the beauty of the moment, we are not worrying about the future - thinking about the beginning of something.

Without regrets or worry, we can truly see the blue of the sky, the movement of clouds, the change of the light, the flickering reflections in the water. We hear the call of the birds and the wind on the water. We can feel the chill or warmth of the breeze.

The present is truly a gift of being. And then it does not matter whether it's a sunrise or sunset. It's beautiful either way.