Despite many pictures from a variety of friends and family, I believe that the prevailing opinion is that the pictures do not and cannot do justice to the event. Our experiences with nature cannot be catalogued and quantified in that way. Like the Japanese notion, we find that something within us changes due to our experience with the larger world. Many times through my life, I have found myself in natural moments that I know will remain a part of me and that have no chance of replication in anything other than pale imitation.
The events show that we are part of an expansive universe that is beyond our comprehension. We are moved in ways that are not possible to articulate. For a brief moment we recognize the vastness of time, the power of natural forces, and our tiny (if not insignificant) role in it all--and find comfort in it.