I love catching sunrises. I am actually known in my social circles for my love of a sunrise. I get up and take my camera to the window every morning. I look to see what beautiful sunrise there is for I am grateful to have made it to another morning. Such a sentiment may sound cheesy especially considering that I am such a New York curmudgeon. As author Bernard Williams noted “There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope.”  If you allow yourself to bask in the aura of a sunrise, you can feel a grand sense of empowerment and a joy in the power of gratitude.  That alone can feed your soul for the day.

When I lived in downtown Los Angeles, I was lucky to be an early bird that lived on the 18th floor.  I caught amazing sunrises and I tried to share them on a daily (but more often than not weekly basis) with others.   Some people actually appreciated getting those morning sunrise texts from me. Others may have pretended to have appreciated it. It’s all good, though, because I was happy.

The last few months, I have not had the chance to capture as readily each morning sunrise.  I moved to a new part of town where the sunsets are more impressive to catch. And I do. But I have missed my sunrises.

Last week, I had to fly to Washington, DC. Being that I am an early bird and one loses three hours going cross country, I opted for a very early morning flight. I always hate myself when that alarm rings but am happy with myself when I land and it is still light out.   I made it to the airport in record time and there was hardly anyone in the security line. It was a major score!   I then went to the lounge and got some breakfast. I was hurrying about putting my bags to the side and pulling out my electronics to catch some downloaded Netflix shows.

I grabbed a coffee and put my foot up. I looked straight ahead and lo and behold there was a beautiful sight.

I was so lucky to catch a sunrise right before my flight.  It calmed my pre-flight jitters. And, I took it as a sign of a good flight to come.  I held onto the photo as the flight took off breathing in the optimism of a sunrise.

Sunrise to be whole

Brighten up the spirit

Jolting the senses