A Lesson I've Learned From Sunrises

Photo by: Drexel Gilbert
© 2014 Drexel Gilbert Enterprises, Inc. 

I made a promise to myself in 2013 to witness more sunrises. I have. In fact, I've taken a picture of the sunrise almost every day for the past several months. The sun is a great teacher. I've learned many lessons from a year of watching it break across the horizon.

Here's a lesson I've learned from sunrises:

Like snowflakes, no two sunrises are the same. Some sunrises are brilliant, with flashes of orange, pink and fuchsia exploding across the azure sky. Some sunrises are shy, with the dawn playing peek-a-boo behind fluffy white clouds that frolic from here to there on the heavenly playground. Some sunrises go into hiding, ducking undercover behind an oppressive gray blanket. The sun is there. It just won't, or can't, come out to play. Some sunrises are just blotted out by storms that rage and howl and screech. The strongest rays of this brightest force still cannot penetrate the black, angry skies.

Like snowflakes.. and sunrises.. no two people are the same. And, no one person is the same every day.

There are days when we will awaken in a blaze of color. We will be ready to embrace the promise of a new day, a new opportunity to write another page in this book that we call life, a new challenge, a new life. Those days will be filled with smiles and laughter and love and promise and joy and hope. They will be filled with brilliant colors and energy and success. We will be bold and adventuresome and confident! We will be spot on! We will score! WE. WILL. WIN!

Then, there will be days of  hesitation. Do we really want to go out and face the day? Or would it be better to hole up and hold back? Maybe we should just take a peek at the life that's going on around us, but then dash back inside. Perhaps we need a brief interlude with friends, colleagues and loved ones followed by a time apart to reflect and plan and debrief.

Some days, we will not want to go outside and play. Period. We are still here. We just need to be alone. Maybe we need some solitude to gain perspective, strength and confidence. Maybe we need to read, write, work, sing, play...or cry.  Alone.

And, some days.... we feel blotted out by the storms. Like the weather, our life seems to be out of control. We may rage against our hurts and fears and anguish. We may howl as turbulent winds whip through the atmosphere that is our life. We may screech in pain and loneliness and emptiness.

And that's okay. Because...

The most important lesson I've learned from sunrises is this:

Another one's a-comin'.

Regardless of how wonderful... or how dreadful... .today has been, tomorrow's sunrise offers a fresh start. Tomorrow's sunrise offers another opportunity to smile, to be kind, to take a chance, to make a friend, to break a bad habit, to start a good habit, to apply for a job, to quit a job,to climb, to build, to create, to reach up, to reach out, to love.... to live.

Photo by: Drexel Gilbert
© 2014 Drexel Gilbert Enterprises, Inc. 

Here comes the sun. 

What will you do with it?