Of Sunsets and Falling Leaves

There is so much sadness in this world and in this life.

There is a sadness that speaks of pain, of suffering, of losing a loved one. There is a sadness that masks anger, of being angry with oneself for not being good enough and not doing enough, of seeing a former loved one having moved on. And then there is a sadness that speaks of happiness, for when no other emotions are enough to convey what smiles and laughters could not.

Passing through a lonely dirt road on a quiet afternoon, there were two things that made me contemplate on the sadness of the world. Looking up, I saw a leaf slowly falling, its last dance before it becomes one with the earth that nourished it. Over the horizon, through the gaps in the trees, there were the last rays of the setting sun, bidding farewell to a world that too often ignores her existence.

Growing up as a loner, I often used to wonder why watching sunsets and falling leaves make me feel a sense of loneliness. I used to think that perhaps there was just something wrong with me. For while everyone else and the whole world go about their business, there I was all by myself beside the window, staring into the sunset, feeling all alone and forlorn.

But the feeling was not unwelcome. Despite the melancholy, the sadness, the quiet, and the silence, it was as if that by letting oneself drown in one's sorrow and letting the passage of time leave one behind, one eventually comes to an enlightenment. And where there used to be doubts and fears, they are soon replaced by inner peace, tranquility, and contentment.

Watching old people and seeing how despite their age they still manage to laugh, smile, and tell the silliest of jokes, I came to the realization that in this fast-paced life, where emotions and feelings are often discarded for the pursuit of money and immaterial material things, at the end of each and everyone's inevitable road, there is our end waiting for us, where all these mundane things and vanities would eventually have to go.

The sunsets of our lives will come when it is time. Our own leaves that have steadfastly stuck to the tree will one day fall off and come twirling down to perform their last dance. Despite our efforts - relationships, life, everything in this world that is of no permanence will one day end and there is simply nothing we can do about it.

Night comes. The leaf crumbles and fades, its remnants scattered in the earth and the wind. The world needs to slumber. Nature has to take its course.

And yet tomorrow, a new sunrise will come and a new leaf will grow in the tree. The wheels of life and fortune will continue to turn and what used to be asleep will once again awaken.



There is indeed beauty in sadness. Relationships may end, but a new one will come when you least expect it. Life may be finite, but as the soul leaves the body, it will soon become one with the All and the Universe to give life and meaning to new leaves and new sunsets.

Photos from desktopscenes.com and pushingfiftygently.blogspot.com