Clarity

There's something about an early morning sunrise that allows the mind to clear for me. I sat in my living room, awakened yet again far too early by the unseen force that has driven me out of slumber for the last few weeks.

I happened to look up from my morning paper and noticed that the kitchen was starting to turn a lovely shade of pink. This could only mean one thing...a gorgeous sunrise was on natures morning agenda.

I decided to grab my camera and head out, intending only to head behind my house and capture a little bit of the colour without the roof lines of the neighboring houses.
Once I'd snapped a every conceivable shot, it was apparent that there was a lot more to be seen as the sun had yet to break the horizon.

Dressed in a sweater, pj pants and flip flops I decided to jog about a km down the gravel road to see if I couldn't get something with the open farmer fields which I knew would be filled with the over-nighting geese.



What I would see would take my breath away and will be a moment that I doubt I will ever forget.
Let me set the scene...the skies shifting from pink to purple with hints of red, orange and umber...it was on fire. As I jogged past a few derelict houses i notice that there's a light layer of fog rolling off of the farmer fields. I think that I'm the luckiest person alive at that moment.

I have all of this to myself...natures has put on this show for me and me alone, because who else in their right mind would be awake this early on a Saturday morning?
Just as I'm reveling in this feeling of euphoria I realize my upcoming presence has disturbed hundreds of Canadian Geese slumbering in the fields and they take to the sky. And to my left? A family of White tailed deer quickly dash across the field and retreat into the forest.
I'm not ashamed to say that I was moved to tears by the stunning beauty before me. Add to that the feeling from a sunrise jog and I can honestly say I've never felt more clarity in my entire life.
I just stood in the middle of the gravel road watching the sun come up...I was out there for at least 30 minutes. I felt so connected...to mother earth, to my dad, to my life.

Eventually the cold started to set in and it became apparent that as the sun climbed higher that the show was slowly drawing to a close. I headed home for a much needed cup of coffee and as I sat watching the early birds come to get their peanuts, I felt like there was never a better time to start working on this years entry for the Thankful book.

It's something I started a few years ago. Every year each member of the family gets to add a page...on that page you put down what you're thankful for. Sounds simple right? maybe even a little boring?

Well the thing is that we often forget what it was that made the previous years so special. When you go back and read what you were thankful for that year, you're given a little glimpse into what your life was like that year.

Sometimes it makes you sad, other times it reminds you about what's really important in life. This years entry turned out to be one of the best I've written in a long time. I credit the show that momma nature put on for me and only me that wonderful glorious morning.

Seriously. Stop. Breathe. Enjoy