It has been a long time since I have taken the time to write on impulse. It seems my life has become so full, that the few things that used to bring me the only joy I had, now have to share space with all of the new things that bring me joy today. Sadly my writing which requires peace and solitude has taken a side seat.
Up early for opening the fast for Ramadan, I found myself with a little time on my hands. Pre-sunrise breakfast had been consumed, and I was left with a cup of coffee and one slobbery tennis ball dropped at my feet. I looked at the goofy chocolate lab panting in front of me and said “Alright get your ball. We’ll play.” With a single motion Valo had scooped up the ball and bounded out the back door. Gus, being my dog through and through, yawned and stretched with such purpose his toes spread out in front of him, nails snagging the carpet as they retracted. He mosied behind Valo and I to a nice spot in the grass out of the way of the game of fetch already in progress.
“It is so peaceful, and the temperature is perfect today.” I mused as I mindlessly chucked Valo’s ball. Just as a thread of light broke through the night’s sky, I inquired if my furry companions wanted some breakfast. Once inside I poured food in Gus and Valo’s dishes, and gave pause to the tug I was feeling from beyond the closed door of the backyard. “I’m going to go out front and watch the sunrise.” Watching the sunrise has a whole host of emotions that come along with it. Peace, well peace isn’t really an emotion is it… it is more of a state of being that allows you to feel some emotions that get lost in the harried workaday world. Allowing this peace to settle I marvelled at the sheer size of the Texas sky, made note of several cloud varieties, and stared in the direction of the eastern horizon with anticipation. I began to wonder what colors I might see, and how long would it be before I saw the pale dawn transform into the brilliant day.
I really committed to greeting the sunrise every day the moment I realized I was sitting, admiring God’s handiwork and being impatient for it to show itself. I guess that is a price we all pay for the lifestyle we live. Always rushing from here to there, finding that the only time we get peace is when we are away from all the “noise” in our lives. It seems that a Sunday morning game of fetch transported me away from the “noise” just long enough to move me to take a time out. The sunrise only lasted about ten minutes, but it showed me that I have time every day to sit and watch the sunrise with my dog and start my day with ten minutes of peace.
Sunrise on the way into work
