The Year is Complete!

Please feel free to look back through the 365 days of 2010 sunrises, but "a year of getting up to meet the day" is officially completed. There will be no more new posts.

PLEASE JOIN ME FOR MORE SUNRISE POSTS AT THE SUNRISE BLOGGER, WHERE YOU WILL FIND SUNRISE PHOTOS AND REFLECTIONS FROM ME AND FROM CONTRIBUTORS AROUND THE GLOBE.


Thank you so much for visiting.
A one year blog project in which I share a process of transitions: emptying of the nest, reacquainting with my rusty intellect, plowing onward with my first full length book, entering the second half of my first century, and generally reflecting on life.

(see Dec. 29th, 2009 entry for further explanation)

Friday, January 1, 2010

off and skiing


Sunrise, 7:13am. Day one successful.

No sun, beautiful snowy landscape nonetheless. The only sign of wildlife I observed was a small cluster of seagulls drifting by.

With thoughts about rising to see "the first light of day," I was thinking about darkness and light this morning. We know that sunlight is connected to health and happiness (ie: vitamin D, seasonal affective disorder, etc). But a world without darkness would be oppressive in its own way. I had a profound fear of the dark when I was younger. In my struggle to combat it, I have come to feel a deep appreciation for the serenity, comfort, and rest in darkness. Due to the snow cover, last night's darkness was an especially gentle one. Long before I got out of bed, visible light filled the outdoors.

It is interesting that in this season of short days and more hours of sunless night, snow provides light from the ground up. Phases of the moon, quantity of snow, cloud cover, landscape -- all contribute to nature's varying qualities of light. The changes are subtle, like the transition between pre- and post-sunrise during my backyard outing today. I had to really think about it to realize that the sun must have risen. My awareness was dependent on things like the clock, or my camera whose automatic flash suddenly stopped engaging.

There is a lot to be gained in exposing ourselves to all of the many levels of light, dimness, and darkness in nature. So much of our existence is bathed in artificial light. The lights are always on. It dulls our sensitivities. To turn parts of ourselves back on, we need to turn out the lights.

3 comments:

  1. Way to go cuz! I maybe could sustain that through the spring if I really tried, but June in Montana?.... Naaah. :-) Good luck!

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  2. Robin, your post today reminds me of one of my favorite poems...

    Cloths of Heaven
    William Butler Yeats
    Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
    Enwrought with golden and silver light,
    The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
    Of night and light and the half-light,
    I would spread the cloths under your feet:
    But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
    I have spread my dreams under your feet;
    Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

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  3. lovely, Lucy! What a wealth in cousins I have!

    ReplyDelete