´e Tutto Buono... It's All Good: African Sundowners... the beauty of endings...

The photo above is the sun setting over the waters of the Okavango Delta in Botswana. We were sitting in a boat, out in the water, watching the sun set, listening to the birds sing their last song, and hearing the hippos as they softly grunted to each other. Every place we traveled to in Africa had the same routine around Sundown. They referred to it as "sundowners." Where ever we were at sunset, we would stop what we were doing and watch the sun sink below the horizon while drinking a sundowner beverage of our choice and nibbling on a few small portions of food. In some ways, this routine was nothing new. Most people I know have enjoyed observing sunsets for years.

But what they did in Africa was more than just pausing to catch a glimpse of the setting sun, it had a certain ring of ceremony to it. A certain amount of gratefulness for the day, a time of quiet conversations and reflection. There was an almost reverent feeling of acknowledgement for the day passing.

By taking the time to practice the pause, they added meaning to what is a daily occurrence. An average event. It made even the sunsets that weren't as spectacular to look at special. And for me, it was a reminder to stop and be thankful for the amazing things we had been able to see and do on that day. There wasn't one sunset in Africa where I didn't have the thought of "Holy wow!!!! I'm in Africa!!! Watching the sunset!!! This is amazing!!!"

I was thinking about this year, how it is rapidly coming to a close, and reflecting on all that has happened. In a way, I was having a sundowner moment. And in that moment of pause, I let the feelings of gratitude and awe sweep over me. It hasn't been a perfect year, but I'm so grateful for the amazing moments I have experienced. God continues to be good and faithful, gracious and loving towards me and my family. I have gained new knowledge of myself and the world around me. I have been blessed to spend time with friends and family. My life isn't perfect, but my life is good. And as the sun sets on this year, I want to take the time to practice the pause, to practice gratitude, and to acknowledge the passing of another year.

I would love to tell you that when I came back from Africa I continued this daily practice of pausing around sunset to celebrate the end of the day. But, of course I don't do this on a daily basis because life gets busy, and I get caught up in it, and I'm often a forgetful and ungrateful human being. But, I do think I practice the pause more often than I used to. The reverence for the event of the sundowner somehow stuck with me. And if, in my rushing I happen to catch a glimpse of a sunset, I am reminded to stop and pause. Even if it is a short pause, I can at least stop long enough to say a quick, quiet, prayer of gratitude. I'm trying to make it if not a daily occurrence, at least a more than once a week occurrence.

I hope that as the year ends, you take time for your sundowner. Take the time to pause, reflect, and be grateful. I pray that these last days of 2016 are peaceful and full of love for you!

I'll leave you with a few more sunset photos. Enjoy!