The Promise of a New Dawn

By Janis Marek Harper

“Every sunset brings the promise of a new dawn” –Ralph Waldo Emerson

…and a sunset is just a sunrise, backwards! If God really wanted me to see a sunrise, He would make it later in the day, but the joke is on me these days because my present job position has me up at 3:30 am and on the way to work by 4:15am. Does this make me a Morning Person or a Night Owl? I reluctantly admit; I am a born-again Morning Person. It’s easy to get lost in the splendor of a sunset but I think Ralph’s remark was really all about the promise of a new dawn.

I now realize that I’ve spent most of my life missing the sacred promise of morning that spills forth during those hours when previously only visions of sugarbuns and Carmel Macchiato danced in my head. As I walk to my car I often catch my breath and offer a reverent word of thanks for the starry night that greets me. I want to play Van Gogh and run back inside for my art supplies and ditch the day job. There’s a family of owls around our place and they stand ready with a wakeup call that jolts me back to reality. Just for fun they often let out a shriek that is no doubt a wicked commentary on how I look at that hour.

It’s the lure of a paycheck that gets me up at this hour, but more often than not I am smiling and singing before the first light of day. It’s all about strategy. One of the first things I did when I started this new job was create a mix CD to get me going and feeling happy about life. By the time I get to my job at the fitness center I have transformed into the Good Morning Faerie who gets to bring sleeping machines to life and greet folks with words of good cheer. Early bird exercisers await my arrival! At first I found these people quite annoying. Who wakes up that awake? Their enthusiasm is contagious. You can’t resist; soon you are happy to be awake also.

I’m sure Ralph was the original leader of this Morning Person Cult. If he were here today he’d be standing at the door with a cup of coffee for me, smiling and describing the colors of the sunrise as I open the facility.  He would say inspiring things like, “Each moment of the year has its own beauty.” Thanks, Ralph. Well, he’s right folks! The year ahead has some beautiful moments and if you really want to grab all it has to offer, get out of bed and drink in the colors of the sunrise as fuel for your day. You might even find yourself embracing life if you show up at the gym and worship with the Morning Fanatics! If you can stay awake you can celebrate the vibrant hues of the sunset later.

Enjoy your sunrise!