Still We Rise

I sit here, outside with sunlight coating my skin, hours away from 2022. The bright light warms my spirit, yet if I stare directly at it for too long it becomes painful for my eyes. Instead, I appreciate how the sun illuminates everything around me; the reflection on the water, my Aquafina water bottle, the shadow of the palm trees on the ground. I’ve come to meditate in the grace of sunlight to provide comfort and reassurance when I feel uneasy. A true reminder in appreciating light after darkness.

After 2020, the sun took on a different meaning for me. It was a consistent reminder of hope. But in a lot of ways, I realized the sun mirrors us. With each passing day, it takes on different shapes. It rises and sets from different perspectives. Some days it would shine bright on its own, other days it leaned on the support from clouds. And through it all, it continues to rise and shine.

Whatever the new year has in store, remember the sun will continue to rise. Keep looking on the bright side of life and you will continue to find beauty. In the words of the glorious Dr. Maya Angelou, “Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still I'll rise.”

Happy New Year.