There is a welling in my chest every time I see a sunrise. It's a mixture of awe, anticipation, optimism, solitude, and gratitude. For some reason, I have never experienced similar emotions when seeing a sunset. They're pretty, but they've never given me a deep, abiding emotional reaction.
Why do I have such a great reverence for sunrises? Answering this question required a considerable amount of introspection.
Sunsets are attention grabbing. They exit with great pomp and flair. They’re lauded and written about. They’re the end of the race, the cheering at the end of a battle. They're the last scene in a romantic movie.
But, a sunrise is the start of a race. It's returning to battle the next day. It's a visit from an old friend. A sunrise is someone who raises his hand and says, "I'll do it."
Seeing the sunrise puts me in a better mood for the rest of the day. A sunrise is the introverted sibling of the extroverted sunset.
There is nothing more welcoming during an all-night drive than seeing that first predawn glow.
Every sunrise occurs without without compensation, acclimation, or recognition.
No matter what happens today, tomorrow morning the sun will rise again. It will occur without a whisper. Will is an infinitely more powerful and important word than could, should, may, or might.
I've heard it said there is nothing certain but death and taxes. Well, there is one more certainty. It's much more cheerful than the first two. And it's free.