For whom the sun rises …

It was one of those mornings. After giving the kitties their breakfast, I grabbed my camera and a coffee and headed off to the lake to watch the sun come up. Along the way, traffic lights turned green as I approached them and the skies ahead looked promisingly clear.

Lake Parker is only ten or fifteen minutes from the house, so there was still plenty of coffee in the cup to just relax and breathe the moment in before Mother Nature worked her early morning show.

Since my parents died, I have lost much of the impetus of heading down there so early but this morning reminded me that they are still watching me from just beyond the horizon. I smiled at the thought and waved and wished them both a good morning.

For a moment, I begrudged the fact that the sun seemed determined to rise just behind an industrial chimney on the far side, ruining what could have been a spectacular natural view. But then a few things fell into the right perspective …

1. The sun doesn’t rise …. my world turns towards it.
2. I was the one choosing to shoot from this particular spot in the first place.
3. “Ruining” was a distinct over-reaction borne from not having things entirely my own way.

Once I accepted that the sun rise wasn’t simply a performance that Mother Nature was putting on to Neville Ronan’s specifications, my role of chronicler is simply to push a stupid shutter-button and let it all happen around me.

I think that is the main message that played out in my head this morning on my way home … that the world turns and things happen, whether I am there or not. My ability to affect anything of significance is really quite small and to allow frustration to steal even the tiniest of moments, is frankly stupid.

Frustration affects us all, but we need to understand that it is a negative force and one that we should resist. I am not suggesting that we become passive in our lives. Absolutely not.

But we need to be aware of what we can and what we can’t affect. Worry about the things that you can affect and only to the point that it makes you do your best in affecting them. But the rest of the stuff …. the traffic light, clear or cloudy skies, and the sun rise … just learn to let it go.

So my message is simple as you head into yet another week … as things appear on your horizon, try sorting them into two groups. Things that you can do something about and things that you can’t. Pour your energies into the former and you will experience a much more rewarding week!

Enjoy these shots from this morning!

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