When I’m on a canoe trip, I like to get up early for at least one sunrise paddle. Waking up and getting ready has a whole new feel to it when you are racing against the turn of the earth. You’re not waking up simply for the drive to school, or because someone expects you to be somewhere. You get yourself out of bed for something bigger; to see the world slowly wake up as the sun slides above the horizon, as it has done for millions of years. I love noticing how peaceful and calm it is in the morning when it seems like I’m the only one awake, quietly observing the world. There is an incredible stillness and grace that is present in the early morning.
On my most recent canoe trip, my group mates and I got up for a sunrise paddle only to be greeted by a cloudy sky. Still, we set out on the water to eat our breakfast and I came to the realization that it is not just the beauty of the sunrise that is worth getting up for. While that is a definite bonus, it also turns into a time for me to appreciate what I have around me. I am able to take in the amazing beauty of the early morning and contemplate the idea of our vast world.
In comparison to everything, I know that I am quite small. Especially when I take into consideration the vast solar system, my life seems quite minuscule. Seeing the sunrises though, reminds me how much I value the small things in life. For instance, if I slow down and observe everything around me, I am able to see and take in, with awe, all of the details. Sometimes it is the dew on early morning grass or the majestic, stretching branches of a tree. Sometimes it is the twitching ears of a deer I have startled, or the crispness of the air I breathe while gliding over the surface of a lake. Other times it is the feeling that overcomes me when I reach the top of a hill and can see the beauty spread out below me.
Each sunrise that I see leaves me feeling privileged to be able to observe the way the shadows shift and converge as the sun crests the horizon. Also, the slight changes in color from sunrise to sunrise, and even within each, is something that I will never get tired of seeing. In life, it is my goal to never stop enjoying the sunrises. To take every small detail and treat it as an extraordinary event. To always appreciate what I have around me and to soak up every separate moment.
2.24.2011
