My oldest daughter has recently reminded me of how amazing it can be to just watch the sun come up in the morning. So often, the beautiful, breath-taking colors, go unnoticed each morning, (and I’m ashamed to say it) but, mostly by me.  My daughter has actually been getting up earlier just to see the sun rise and this has prompted me to stop and think… Am I so caught up with what’s coming up in the day ahead to appreciate whats right in front of me? Nowadays though, it’s not that I’m so busy because I am currently 18 months into a two-year recovery from surgery, but in many ways I miss being busy, while at the same time I’m disappointed and frustrated with the physical limitations that I am experiencing. I’m so glad that she brought this to my attention, because it has given me the opportunity to reflect and regroup.

I reflect on how each sunrise brings me a brand new day.. It puts me a day ahead of where I was yesterday, and all the other yesterdays. True, I don’t like being limited physically but I am getting better and a new day means another chance to move forward toward total recovery. I reflect on the fact that there are so many other people who are no longer here to appreciate the sunrise of another day, and that I could have been one of them.

I stop to regroup and think about what’s really important, by changing my focus. This new day is a chance for me to focus outward rather than inward. Today I will focus on the circumstances and needs of others; my family, my friends, and the people who will cross my path. Taking the focus off of me will in turn make my problems seem smaller for the moment, while I  experience the many little joys and surprises that lie right in front of me… like the sunrise!