There is something so optimistic about the dawn of a new day.  And not just the beginning of the day as we have come to understand the expression, but the actual dawn of the day.  Even lacking a spectacular sunrise, exciting plans, or a narrative of any kind; the fact that the sun rises every morning and yet shines on a day that has yet to define itself is a time to reflect on what we want from the day.  The sun has a particular  way of starting the day; slowly, stretching itself along the horizon before peeking the rim of itself over the eastern sky.  And it wakens the world slowly as well.  The early rustling and quiet first song of the birds, gentle drips of the moisture that has been captured in the dark, signal this slow stretching into full daylight.

One cannot help but feel wonder at this event, even as it repeats itself, reliably throughout our lives.  It is almost a magical moment, the colors slowly returning with the added light, the stillness of the air, a sense of softness wrapping the earliest part of the new day.  Wonder is a special kind of happiness, and the wonder of the sunrise gives us an uplifting herald to the day ahead.

I will admit that I have varied from earlier riser by necessity, to sleeping through the sunrise to becoming an earlier riser by choice.  The calm, gentle, slow start of the early morning gives my day a tone and feel.  Jumping out of bed as the alarm goes off creates a day of always feeling rushed, slightly behind, and somewhat irritable.  Waking slowly, allowing my body to find the rhythm of the day, and starting from a center of peace and calm gives happiness a head start in my day.

This day will be unlike any other in its detail and richness.  Stop a moment to breathe in the loveliness of an early morning to appreciate the beginning of that day.  You may be surprised at the difference in your day simply having greeted the sunrise.