Have you ever seen the sun set?

These past weeks have been so repetitive and monotonous that I wonder if I really am a human or an automated robot. The same cycle of getting up, catching up with work, feeling tired, falling asleep and getting up again the next day. But today, there was a little disruption in the cycle. The disruption was the sunset. There’s always sunset of course, but today I noticed it.

After hours of screen time for the day, I went to the terrace for a short recess. The sky was calm and I saw a bright orange ball amidst grey background. The sun looked so beautiful that I kept looking at it, trying to trace the movement of its setting. But I hardly succeeded; its position changed. It was much closer to the skyline than before. But I couldn’t trace it. May be I couldn’t because I was moving along with its pace. The playful moment with nature was something different: intimate and beautiful. It was just me and the sun biding farewell.

I stayed there for a while. Even after the orange ball was out of sight, the bright strokes of its lights were smeared on the clouds. That moment got me thinking: I don’t have to feel like an automated robot if I don’t want to. Yes, there are deadlines to meet, meetings to attend, degrees to earn, social media to catch up with trends. But there are also immense number of things to look at and wonder upon; like the pattern on leaves, birds on wires, clouds telling stories. Things that help me connect with myself and those around me.

It’s surprising how the brief time spent with nature can make us feel content and refreshed. The little moment with the sunset taught me that nature is generous and nourishing. Whether you’re looking for peace, inspiration or hope, nature is there. You just have to make a time to connect with it. If I ever have a hectic or a distressful day, I am assured that can always go into nature and its creations for comfort.