Sunrises, Sunsets, and Sunbreaks

I sat in lamp-lit darkness on the steps of Monastery Immaculate Conception last month ready to watch the sunrise. The scented steam of orange-cinnamon tea rose from my red mug. What a perfect moment--until the hardness of the cement stair forced me to stand. Still, I continued to sip my harvest blend in anticipation until my fidgeting sent me walking up the quiet road at the foot of this home of the Sisters of Saint Benedict in Ferdinand, Indiana. "How long is it going to take for the sun to rise and why can't I just be still and enjoy it?"

My nervous energy around facilitating a workshop I did not feel prepared for was keeping me from relaxing into that early morning solitude with the sun. However, rather than continuing my critique, I decided to be like a Benedictine and offer hospitality to myself. Whether sitting, standing, or walking, anxious or not, I was welcome just as I was under the slowly changing sky. 

Reds, pinks, and purples began to spread across the sky with the vividness and playfulness of the juggling scarves I had brought to the retreat, Happy with such a show, even without the sun itself, I snapped a photo to share with Sister Betty and my daughter later that morning.  

An hour later, Sister Betty texted me a photo of the sunrise from her bedroom window and there was the orange globe I had not waited to see break through the clouds, casting cherry and marmalade rays all around! I texted her my photo and she exclaimed, "Wow, your sunrise must've been earlier than mine! Gorgeous!"

Our two photos expanded and extended our experience of the sunrise, bringing us both joy. Together our photos offered a richer story of the morning sky.

To add to our delight, my daughter shared her watercolor of the sunset the night before (Lainey was our resident artist for the mid-program retreat for Wisdom Tree Collective's spiritual directors-in-training). 

Like the faces of a diamond, the three of us saw different "facets" of the same sun. And the sharing of our photos and painting were as meaningful as the sunset and sunrise themselves!

In fact, I noticed the anxiety that had been present in me at the start of the day had greatly diminished when witnessing Creation's beauty and celebrating it together.

Something as ordinary as a sunrise and as simple as a text had the power to calm and connect.

A few days later, one of the second year students, who had been on retreat with us, texted me stunning photos of sunbreaks in the afternoon sky in Alaska. It was another opportunity to connect with Creation and share in joy. I was also amazed at how those images arrived just when I needed a break of my own!

So when overwhelmed and wondering what you can do for yourself and others, start with the ordinary, the simple. Small things matter.

Turn your face to the sky, pick up your paintbrush or pen, take a photo, text a friend, share a story.

In fact, I'm going to post a photo on our social media and would love for you to share a sunrise, sunbreak, or sunset with us!

While we can never fully capture our experiences of awe, beauty, and joy that warmed and calmed our hearts, as we savor them, we allow our faces, words, and the work of our hands to radiate the warmth and light our world needs.

Thank you for being part of Wisdom Tree Collective!

Kasey Hitt, Executive Director