The other morning I left for work at the usual time: 6:50am. Expecting the morning to be like every other morning. I was pleasantly surprised at how much light there was and found it to be rather beautiful as the sun was approaching the mountains and pink began to fill the eastern sky. Before I reached my car I saw the beautiful full moon. It was directly in front of me as I walked to my car facing the west and much higher than I would have expected. It was exquisite and had a glow and presence about it I have never seen or noticed before. Maybe I have been so caught up in my life the last several years that I have not paid much attention to things like that. But on this particular morning, the moon seemed to demand my attention and I was willing to give it.
I had a hard time taking my eyes off of the moon even as I was driving to work. It got me thinking about how since the beginning of mankind the moon has been a powerful influence on life here on earth. Over time, we as a society seem to ignore things like the moon these days. We may no longer need the moon to keep up with our calendar, but it’s nice to know it’s up there, guiding our tides and keeping us company in the sky.
Scientific American wrote an article about the moon called “Without the Moon, Would There Be Life on Earth?” As they talk about how the moon has advanced life on our planet, thanks to the gravitational pull the moon gives to our tidal waves, they had this to say, “Life may ultimately owe its origins to our serendipitously large moon. The sun and wind also drive the ocean’s oscillations, but it is the moon’s gravitational tug that is responsible for the lion’s share of this predictable tidal flux.” If we have the moon to thank for our existence, than maybe I should appreciate it more often, don’t you think?
There are so many stories and legends about the moon, some of which have existed for centuries. There have been and still are other religions and cultural beliefs that center on the moon and still hold the moon in high importance. However, seeing the moon in the early morning sky, it was easy for me to understand why. Nature really is a thing of beauty. And no matter what people believe about the moon on how the moon came to be or where it came from, one simple truth and fact remains I think we all can agree on:
The universe and everything in it from the sun, moon, stars, other planets, and space going on for farther than we can see, truly is a magnificent thing to witness and a simple reminder of how amazing life can really be.
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