Nina wanted to see the sun rise from the top of a mountain in one of the most beautiful places in the world, but this one was left undone. How about you? Is there some place that you want to watch the rise or set?
Nina wanted to see the sun rise from the top of a mountain in one of the most beautiful places in the world, but this one was left undone. How about you? Is there some place that you want to watch the rise or set?
In the summer of 2012, my family visited Hawaii. One of our excursions was to Haleakala to see the sunrise. With bleary eyes, we rose in the middle of the night and dressed as warmly as possible. Our van driver was chatty during the long, winding and dark drive to the summit. He couldn’t tell us what to expect, as every day was different. I suppose there was symbolism in that statement, but symbolism only goes so far that early in the morning. Upon arriving at our destination the vans pulled into the parking area and their groggy inhabitants stumbled forth, trying to secure a good viewing spot on the still dark mountainside. I remember thinking while standing there with those other cold, and expectant witnesses to the dawn that here we were , having traveled so far, looking for something magical in the most everyday occurrence — the sun that rose not just here but outside our own window each morning. Did transporting ourselves a half a world away make the sunrise any more significant, I wondered? Then the drum began to beat and the uniformed park ranger spoke In a loud, clear voice. He spoke about the volcano and he ended by saying ..”this is YOUR sunrise” just as the sun rose above the clouds. I suppose that was what it was all about … embracing that sunrise, that morning and that day as our own.