Chapters

It is ironic that this is my final posting for this series of photos.  I really didn't plan on it to be this way but a couple weeks ago as I was planning which photo to post next, it occurred to me that this one is very symbolic of my final week in Enguwantale.  One of the first things that really struck me when I first arrived here were the sunsets.  The hazy air, wide open horizon, and scattered clouds are the proper ingredients for stunning sunsets.  I have always been a sucker for sunsets and find them a great catalyst for reflection.  Whether I was watering the garden, herding the cows, or just strolling through the sand, my eyes would be fixed to the west as the sun began sinking below the horizon.  Things would become calm and quiet and my thoughts would turn to the day that was coming to a close and the day to come.  If it was a good day, I would wish for the next to be just as good or better.  If  it had been a bad day, I would hope that the problems that had plagued me would sink with the sun and get lost somewhere on the other side of the world.  Each day is a new chapter and the setting sun is the turning of the page.  We don't know what the next chapter will bring, but we have to embrace it, accept it, and try to make the most of it.  In the same way, our lives are filled with chapters as well.  I now find myself amidst one of those life sunsets.  A major chapter in my life is now coming to a close and a new one is about to begin.  It is no doubt a frightening and exciting time.  Our lives do not have a table of contents, so there are no hints as to what the next chapter will bring.  This last chapter has been wonderful, so all I can hope for is that the next one will be as good or better.  Regardless, all that can be done is to accept the next chapter with open arms and step into it with the fervor and determination to make the most of it.