What is it about sunrises and sunsets that encourage people to write poetry and take beautiful pictures? Is it the mixture of colors? Is it the sight of the sun slowly rising or setting? Or is it that there are no “bad” sunrises or sunsets therefore, all of our pictures allow us to view ourselves as a professional photographer?
The question of one preferring sunrises to sunsets is one as old as time. Almost as old as the question, “Do you eat the center filling out of the Oreo cookie first or take a bite of the whole cookie?” And just so everyone knows the correct answer, we take a bite out of the whole cookie so one’s taste buds experience the chocolate cookie and sweet filling at the same time.
I have a friend who loves sunrises. His belief is that a sunrise is a symbol of a whole new day where everything and anything is possible. At one time, he even texted me daily for several weeks with a picture of the sunrise. Each day the sunrise had different hues and levels of the sun rising. Some days even had surrounding clouds, giving the sun a dewy, subdued look. I have to say, during those days that I received pictures, I began my day with a different frame of mind. I woke up earlier anticipating the picture and as I looked at each picture, I could feel a smile come across my face. I found myself thinking happy thoughts, almost daydreaming about life in general and how the day would unfold.
Of course, I never shared that with my friend because I, on the other hand, love sunsets. I have dozens of sunset pictures and when I vacation in a tropical place, I always schedule a sunset cruise on a big boat. Sunsets give one an opportunity to reflect on the day and all of God’s blessings and feel nothing but gratitude. When I look at a sunset, I subconsciously sigh heavily as if releasing all of the day’s stress off of my shoulders, and a sense of extreme peace enters my soul. I reflect on my day and whatever went wrong just doesn’t seem to matter anymore, and whatever was bright and beautiful brings a smile to my face as I relive it over and over.
What I have come to realize is that sunrises and sunsets are the yin and yang of life. Each day we are able to rise and face a new day. Whether our day consists of washing clothes and folding laundry, attending two-hour meetings back-to-back all day, or holding a friend’s hand as she receives her chemo treatment, we know that at the end of the day, regardless of how good or bad, we will have the opportunity to try again the next day.
There is a beauty about the start of a day, where anything and everything is possible. However, if that day is filled with sadness, loneliness, or even anger, it feels good to shed those thoughts and worry that night and know that the next day we get to try again. Just like a sunrise and sunset, there is beauty at the start of the day and at the end of the day. There is beauty in grief and anger because on the other side is joy and forgiveness and the knowledge that through your strength, you got through it. So no more competition between a sunrise and a sunset – count it all joy.