By Judy Stephan

I have witnessed many beautiful sunrises in my lifetime…. Sunrise in the bushveld in the Kruger National Park in South Africa, or through the mists of Victoria Falls. The first glimmer of light on the horizon at The Grand Canyon and how it slowly manifests into a citrus spectacular illuminating the ruddy valleys and outcrops. From cruise ships on the Indian Ocean or far North in Alaska ,from the top of Cape Town’s Table Mountain to the sun-soaked beaches of Mexico … but no sunrise was as beautiful as the one I saw on 17 February this year as I took off on the twin propped plane from Nanaimo Airport destination Vancouver en route to Belgium.

It was so absolutely spectacular that the pilot did an extra loop so we could spend longer absorbing its beauty and bathing in its light. Wisps of clouds caught fire, igniting in brilliant shades of orange that danced across the sky like flames leaping from a celestial forge. The sun, a fiery red orb of radiance, began its ascent, casting long shadows that stretched across the water like reaching fingers, setting it ablaze in a million fruit salad hues. There are simply not enough adjectives to describe the brilliance of the ever-deepening shades of orange and purple that overwhelmed us. Tangerine dream were the only words that swirled in my head, and as I watched amber deepen to marigold and apricot, and change to saffron and copper, terracotta and burnt sienna, I really appreciated how lucky we are. We really do not have to travel far to experience the very best of Mother Nature.

Sunrises are such a symbolic phenomenon, as the darkness of the long cold night is slowly eliminated in shards of colourful light which, like an artist painting on a black canvas, give us hope for a new beginning, a fresh start, as we greet a new day. Each sunrise brings new opportunities, and new beginnings reminding us that no matter how dark the night may seem, the dawn will always break, bringing with it light, warmth, and the promise of a brighter tomorrow. So skip the snooze button and catch the sunrise.