Sunrise

It isn't often that I'm up early enough to see the sun rise. And if I am, I'm certainly not paying attention to it. But this morning I did.

Ella woke up early and with my husband out of town and no nursing, I had to get up with her. After getting her settled I stepped out to the back patio to sip my day old coffee that had been reheated in the microwave and noticed the sun rising. It got me thinking.

A sunrise doesn't quite hold the same romanticism as a sunset. You always hear about watching the sun set. A sunrise doesn't seem to get the same credit.

Lots of people witness the sun rise every day, and in theory it's the same beautiful occurrence, but we don't typically take the time to stop and enjoy it in the same way. Everyone is busy rushing off to work or school or wherever they need to be.

On our honeymoon my husband and I went to Key West. Anyone who has been before knows what a big deal "sunset" is there. We were told of a great location we had to go to see the sunset, on top of a hotel, so at the end of our first day there we made a plan to go. We didn't allow ourselves enough time and I remember us running through the streets trying to get there but when we arrived at the top of the hotel, it was pretty much over.

The parallel to our life is obvious to me. Having a typical child is like a sunset - it's romantic; more people notice and appreciate it. Our first pregnancy, before Ella, ended halfway through and, like our experience in Key West, we got a glimpse of the sunset but missed the big show that everyone else experienced.

Instead, we got a sunrise with the arrival of Ella. It's different. Not as many people rush to see it or appreciate it, but it's ultimately just as beautiful.