An early-morning lesson from my daughter

The sky awakens
London, ON
January 2019
This photo originally shared on Instagram

This morning in our house was little changed from any other weekday morning: All of us twirling through the kitchen and front hallway, quickly grabbing our things together as we prepared to head out into a world much bigger and colder than the cozy one we live in here.

Snippets of conversation flashed back and forth as plans were made and times were confirmed. We've evolved this shorthand over the years, and while it may not make sense to an outsider, it works for us - the perception of utter chaos notwithstanding.

This morning was a little different, as Debbie and I will be back on the road later today, headed to Montreal to be with her ailing father. What we find when we get there is anyone's guess, but it's safe to say no one ever looks forward to trips like this. A palpable sense of darkness dominated this morning's discussion as we tried to ensure the kids would be well covered for the next few days. That shadow that's been following us seems to have deepened since my last entry.

As our daughter stepped out into the cold morning air, she stopped in her tracks and called me over. "You've GOT to see that sky." So I did. I had to drop her off near school before continuing to work, but it seemed near-criminal to miss a sunrise like this. So downstairs I went to fetch the DSLR and fast-shoot the scene from our doorstep.

The lesson here is simple: Even amid the darkness, there is light. And you're always surrounded by folks with an innate ability to find that light. Trust them, and don't be afraid to shift directions when they flag a moment. You're never too busy to jump off the merry-go-round. The number of times you get to do this, to find the light amid the darkness, to let your kid be your eyes, to freeze the moment, is tragically finite. Eventually we all run out of sunrises. The question, then, will be whether you took the time to enjoy them.

Thanks to my perceptive kid, on this morning, I did.

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