What gives you peace? Is it the quietness of silence? The taste of a favorite food? The joy of gathering with family and friends? The chance to get lost in your favorite movie? The success of finally finishing all the items on your daily list? The beauty of a flower? I will share with you what gives me peace, it is the sunrise or the sunset, it is the beauty of the clouds, it is the amazing awe that is in the knowledge of the sky. It is a wonderful symphony for all of your senses and when you put your entire body into it, can be such an amazing experience and fill you with such peace, no matter what you have just endured.

            The sunrise , you stand there in the dark, as the first spec of light comes and the colors switch from black to midnight blue, the cicadas begin a joyful hum growing into a long buzz that sounds very magical. As the colors change to navy blue, the birds begin their joyful praise, thanking God for bringing them through the night safely and allowing them to see a new day. This is a slow process but you must wait and enjoy the show. Then comes the smell of morning, a mixture of water and earth, that cannot be compared. Then there are wisps of various shades of blue and soft oranges as the rays of light begin to stream in. With each shift in tint, the songs of the earth grow louder, the pitches are higher, and you begin to hear fish and other water creatures jumping, or small mammals scratching. The wind gently blows and the earth is shifting. As day begins to break, the birds begin to take flight, soaring high in the clouds and swooping back down. This is their thank you dance for a night of safety and the dawn of a new day. It’s time to take a seat, on the ground and feel the firm earth beneath you as you tune in for the main event. This may be the time, if you are close to an ocean that the waves begin to crash their cymbals of gratitude. As you look to the sky you can see the golden lining of the clouds as if to say that everything is going to be ok, whatever happens this day you can handle it. You can feel the deep breathes and hear the exhales. The pace is slowing, you are filled with excitement, so much it is hard to contain it all. You pause and look at your own hands, so glad that you are able to move them, so thankful they are doing what you tell them to do at this moment. Then you gaze back up and pop there it goes, hooray! The bright red hot sun announces a new day of possibilities, a new day of new experiences, a new day of adventures.