The hour around sunset is referred to by photographers as the golden hour. The light is soft and gentle, the colors appear to be consolidated, flowing into each other, and the harshness of the midday is gone. It is a time coveted by photographers.
Now, in his book Anam Cara, the philosopher John O’Donohue makes an analogy between the time of a human’s life with the time of day, particularly mentioning the possibility of beauty in our twilight years (for discussion purposes, let’s say these years are 60 years-old to 80 years-old).
I believe this analogy is useful. Consider the other golden hour (the time around dawn) to be a parallel with the first year of life—a time of softness and gentleness. This is followed by the brightness and energy of mid-morning and early afternoon, correlating with our teenage years and early adulthood. Then comes the heat and tiredness of the afternoon, not dissimilar to the waning of energy we usually call a midlife decline.
Ah, but then the twilight of life slips towards us, a time to reflect on the days left behind and the endless night laying in wait for us.
I contend—similar to O’Donohue—that if one can pause and live within the moment of this beautiful twilight, then it can be a wonderful time, preparing oneself and ones’ loved ones with the inevitable adventure ahead.