Begin Again

Thirty Days of Thankfulness, Day Five

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am not a morning person. In fact, I think I just told my husband this week that waking up is the worst thing EVER. On school days, I drag my butt out of bed in time to get the oldest two kids off to school, I grab a cup of coffee and beeline right back to my bed. By the time I've finished my coffee, I have planned my entire day.  I am no longer angry to be awake and most days I'm excited to get up and going.

Saturdays are a different story, though. On Saturdays I voluntarily get out of bed before the sun comes up. I eat a protein bar and chug some coffee, layer on the running gear, lace up the tennis shoes and slip out of the house just as its light enough to see.

This morning, I had to leave a little earlier than usual. I'm not a fan of running in the dark, but to get my run in, that's what had to happen. I figured by the time I got through three miles I'd be able to ditch my headlamp. Thirty minutes into my run, I put away my light. It wasn't quite daylight yet, but I'd manage. In another mile, I made a right turn and started a six mile stretch down that road. Time to crank up the headphones and settle into the run.

And then, as I came up over a hill, there it was. The sunrise. It stopped me. This was just what I needed! I'll admit, I'm more of a sunset girl, but this sunrise reminded me of something. Every sunrise is different. Every day is a fresh start. If I hadn't left exactly when I had left this morning, or if I had taken a different route, I would've missed it.

No more than five minutes further down the road, and the magic was gone. The sun had risen and all of the color it had dragged up with it had faded away. That was all the time I needed, though. Just a quick reminder that I was in control of this day and that sunrise was meant for me.

Today I am thankful for a new beginning  and the beautiful way it was presented to me.