Just Before the Sunrise

I have a distinct and vivid memory of waking unusually early on the morning of September 11, 2001. I was ten years old at the time, and like most ten year olds, I woke up without too much difficulty. But this morning was different. I had no idea why, but for some reason I found myself awake very early in the morning, before the sun had even risen. I remember getting out of bed and laying outside on the grass in my front yard, just waiting for the sun to rise. The rays of the sun quickly overtook the darkness of night, and as the sky began to be filled with daylight, I uneventfully went inside and started getting ready for school like any other ordinary day. Needless to say, that day would prove to be more out of the ordinary than anyone could have imagined.

Ever since 2002, I have risen each morning on the 11th of September to simply sit and watch the sun rise, and this morning was no exception. As I grew older and began to resent waking up more and more, I still managed to find the ability to wake up on this one day of the year and venture outside to watch nature's beauty unfolding before my eyes. I truly cannot explain why I do this. I would like to say that it is a tribute to the lives lost on that day, or that it holds some strong symbolism within me, but neither is true. Quite simply, as I sit each morning and watch a new day burst into being, I am forcibly reminded that, for thousands of people from all different walks of life, this was the last sunrise they would ever see. I think about that day when I innocently sat outside and watched the sunrise before school, and I think about the thousands of people who kissed their loved ones goodbye, who made lasting promises, and who left to pursue new journeys under that sunrise. But most of all, I am forced to acknowledge how lucky and privileged I am to be enjoying each and every sunrise, each and every day, and each and every moment. Because for thousands of individuals, this was the last sunrise they would ever see.

R