Good morning, sunshine

or is it Good morning sunshine?

A year ago this week, I started meeting my friends for an early morning walk. We time our walks so that we arrive at a point to see the sunrise. When I started sharing the photographs and video that I take of the day’s beginning, I started titling it for the double meaning in English of how people greet their love ones in the morning– perhaps waking children to get ready for school: Good morning sunshine. The other meaning with the comma is more of an actual good morning to the sun that is rising before our very eyes.

I have never walked, or been as present in an environment outside of my garden, as I have been in this last year in this particular path along the sea. I never realized before that the sun rise moves so far over in behind the islands or sea in our landscape or seascape. Of course, I knew the sun “moved through the year” because I think about that as it relates to where I plant plants in the garden.

There is only one thing that is the same every singe day. When we meet we always comment on how beautiful it is and how no two days are ever the same. That is our constant. Everything else: the people we exchange a simple “Good morning!” to, or the grumpy people one knows to stay away from, the seals, sea otters, mink, sea lions, bald eagles, crows, ravens, migratory birds, hummingbirds, song birds, mallard ducks, boats, ships, freighters of all types…they are never predictable. We have no control in who we are seeing.

I believe that it is in the act of putting ourselves in the right place (you don’t experience these mornings on the Salish Sea from under your cosy warm duvet– you need to get yourself there)– and then welcoming the day with openness and curiousity that then one can really experience the beauty or interest of the world around us.

I say all of this knowing that I am living a privileged life because I live in a peaceful country where we live by the rule of law, in the context of a healthy democracy, where we have health care and our governments are tackling the realities of what has come before us and the injustices that have resulted in profound damage to indigenous people’s, their communities and ways of living, and our environment both today and it’s health in the future. I also know that it is easy to consider such topics as this when one has her basic needs such as food and shelter in place.

I also know that the openness to see Beauty in the every day is available universally simple because the definition of Beauty is so a personal and in the natural world– so fleeting.

I wish you peace on your path today.