In February 2023, I wrote, “A Sunset Wish is Magical.” Let’s revisit my habit of making sunset wishes 1,000 sunsets later and see what has happened in that time.
The Need For A Sunset Wish
Sunsets have a way of captivating us, don’t they? That fleeting moment when the sky explodes into colors and the world seems to pause, just for a second. It’s in those moments I’ve found myself wishing on the horizon, whispering my dreams to the fading light.
Over the past few years, I’ve made it a ritual to catch a thousand of these sunsets, each one a canvas for my hopes and dreams. It started nearly three years ago when my life took an unexpected upside-down turn with life-altering events:
- My brother passed away
- My mother spiraled deeply into dementia
- My marriage crumbled into dust
- I left a job I loved and moved my autistic son and myself three states away to start fresh
To be blunt, I desperately needed the ability to wish for better days ahead because I was stuck in the deep end of the quicksand pool.
Why 1,000 Sunset Wishes?
There is nothing magical about the number 1,000. It could just as easily have been 1,006 or 994. What matters is time given to distance myself from my grief. I have moved forward one faltering step at a time, always hoping for a brighter day ahead.
Little by little.
Somedays, it seemed like I only moved fractions of an inch.
Others, I didn’t move at all.
And, of course, there were days when I had to take a step back.
But the important take-away is that each night, as the day — good or bad — came to an end, I wished for a better tomorrow. Those single nights turned into weeks, months, and finally years. Three years ago, I would never have guessed where I am in my journey today.
Am I perfectly healed and unbroken? No, of course not. But I am much more happy and content than I was. My depression and anxiety is better. I sleep better. I have future goals and aspirations.
I proudly look back at how far I’ve come; I never could have foreseen how happy I would end up being or the healing that has taken place in my life. The problem with being stuck in the Forest of Despair is you only see the immediate darkness surrounding you. That is why it is so important to look ahead with excitement.
1,000 Sunset Wishes Later
It’s been over 1,000 sunsets since my life went off the rails and, wow, what a crazy ride it has been. But I can honestly say, the simple practice of looking forward to tomorrow has been a game-changer.
No matter how badly things went today, tomorrow is a new start.
And the next day is another new start. And the next…
And before you know it, you will have 1,000 sunset wishes tucked in your heart and you won’t even see the starting line where you began. What ever journey you are on right now, start making a simple wish on the sunset tonight. Wish for a better, brighter tomorrow one day at a time. Then, after 1,000 sunset wishes, let’s see how your life transforms!
See more articles from Lilly Strong here.
Check out my YouTube channel too!
Pingback: A Sunset Wish is Magical - I am Lilly I am strong