Magic Hour

About a year ago, my family took a trip to McCall, Idaho, a charming little town situated around a lake. My wife and I drove up with my cousin, Cole, and his wife, Timbrel. We had great discussions about many things in life. Much of the drive was extremely gorgeous and picturesque, but the highlight was when the sun started setting and the sky turned neon pink. Cole looked out the window and said, "I love magic hour." I'd never heard that term before, but I've thought a lot about it ever since.

Yesterday I was teaching one of my adult piano students, Steve. We've had a great four years of lessons together thus far, and he's overcome a great deal of technical and musical hurdles during our time together. Because of some personal and family hardships, he has to take a few months off from lessons. He asked if we could reflect on the things we'd accomplished together and the things he'd improved on over the last four years. He told me it was very beneficial to focus on these things at such a trying time in his life. In many ways, this was my and Steve's "magic hour".

So often we get wrapped up in so many tasks, some mundane and some meaningful. It's a good idea to take some time to reflect each day. Seasons in life have darkness and brightness, but there's always a magic hour. We create the magic hour. We can stay inside and miss it. Or, we can seek it out, study it, review it. Not every magic hour is filled with happiness and joy. Some magic hours are filled with pain, some with regret. But, every one of them means something. Every one of them is beautiful.