One thing I wasn’t prepared for when we moved from town to the countryside was just how vast and fascinating the sky would become for me. And when I’m still enough to take it all in, it offers an opportunity for a big-sky perspective on life. There’s always time for that.
I mean, I was always aware of the sky, obviously, but when you have nothing obstructing your view, the panorama is awe inspiring. It’s like a giant canvas of colours, shades and textures spread out overhead, always changing, always moving, yet consistent no matter what happens here on the ground.
Day or night, that vastness is incredible to behold. As a certified non-morning person, I now set my alarm to catch the sunrise, because watching that bright orange ball come up over the tree line, lighting up the surrounding farm crops, and bringing the day to life reminds me that each new day is a brand new chance. Yes, that’s a cliché, but now I actually understand it.
The nighttime is a whole other magic. From the sunsets that slip below the fence line, making all the trees look black against the canvas of pink and orange hues, to the stars that create a map of mystery across the navy blue backdrop, it’s better than cable TV. Add a full moon, with white light so bright you swear you could read a book in the middle of the pasture at midnight, well, words will never do it justice.
As a kid, and even more than a few times as an adult, I’ve been told I had my head in the clouds, as if that was a bad thing. We used to scold children with that phrase, because daydreaming was seen as time wasted. As if time was something you needed to constantly monitor. As if imagination was strongest when you were busy doing something productive, as opposed to spending time creatively pondering ideas, crafting imaginary scenarios, solving mysteries and questioning everything.
Do kids today even know how to daydream? Can they entertain themselves with something as simple as white fluffy clouds against a blue crayon sky? I hope so. Mind you, I’m of a generation where we didn’t schedule playtime. We just played. Unsupervised. Untethered. Anything to avoid cleaning our bedrooms. Good times.
But since children learn by example, we must be mindful that this generation is being raised by those of us with phones in our hands almost all the time. It’s not a fault, it’s a reality. It’s just the way life is now.
So, I ask you, when was the last time you sat back and took in the sky? Just laid back looking for faces or shapes in the white masses of the clouds as they floated by. Or watched a thunderstorm roll in and waited for the light show from a safe place? I hope you make time to do it. Often.
There is something powerful in the stillness of daydreaming. I understand now that I am capable of staying grounded while having my head in the clouds. In fact, I’m better for it. When I need a break from the chaos that inevitably comes from everyday life, it can be as simple as sitting back and watching that sky move overhead. Free therapy.
Life lesson: stay grounded, but whenever you can, make time to let your head linger in the clouds.
It’ll do you good.
