The Joy of a Sunrise

There are joys and challenges when returning from faraway, sometimes both at the same time. There is joy in the comfort of our usual routine but a challenge in that it is often what makes us need the vacation in the first place. Joy in being grateful for the kind of life we live but a challenge to our need to help others have a good life, too. And also joy in reconnecting with the people in our life despite the challenge of some more difficult relationships.

One of the challenges of coming home from a long-distance place is jet lag. It takes a body some time to readjust to the time zone it is used to. A twelve hour difference makes itself known. That became clear when I fell asleep at the computer while working on a book I’m writing, and when I thought I would take a twenty-minute nap and ended up sleeping over two hours instead. But then, there is the delight of waking early and seeing the sun rise into the day. Many days of sunrises does not dull the joy of such beauty.
Generally, morning is not my favorite time of day. It takes me a while to get going. Yet how could I not be awed by such a display? One day I watched the sky slowly spread fingers of pink between the bare winter branches. Another day gold lifted over the rooftops like a conductor’s arms raising a baton to begin the day’s concert. What a grand way to awaken. Maybe I will start appreciating morning now so as not to miss the joy of a sunrise.