The Teachings Of The Sunrise

I woke up this morning at 543, wide awake and knew that the nights sleep was over. So I walked outside and decided that it was too nice to stay inside. It's a rare Sunday morning. My golf buddies were all out of town or unavailable.

So I loaded up and headed out to a course I play often, no tee time. They said no problem. I teed off before first light....I could see....but not well. For the first 30 minutes or so, I was waiting on the sun. After a few holes, the sun without warning made an appearance on the seventh green. Absolutely stunning. Somewhere between burnt orange and soft red, and as round as anything I had ever seen. It was rising over the fall colored trees, gently parting the branches, casting soft shadows along the sparkling grass, as it nudged away the clouds of dawn. I was alone on the suddenly sun soaked green. I grabbed my phone, and took its picture. It was a moment. Spiritual. I don't think if my buddies were there I would not have had the same reaction. We would have said, "Yeah that's cool" and moved on to the next tee. But with just me and the sun, I was going to take it in.

You learn a lot of things about yourself playing 18 holes of golf alone. I think you may learn what others already know about you, that maybe you don't know they do. Many times others do see us in ways we do not always see ourselves. Golf is a game that requires the most of those who choose to play it.....especially alone. It's a game of honesty, integrity, that requires patience and good citizenship on each and every hole. And you can learn if you're good company or not. It's a time, at least for me to think things all out. In detail, clearly and without noise or interruption. To reflect on the recent past, and prepare for the week ahead. It's just me, the green of the grass, the blue on the water, the steam off the water, and the yellow of the overhead sun.

Today was so perfect at sunrise, I wasn't going to do one thing to mess it up. There's those rare times you're doing just what you want to be, with just the right - everything. Right temperature, right clothes, right place - right time - right company. I was going to play to the best of my abilities, and enjoy every second of this wondrous ride through the carved and manicured landscape. This morning I figured if I fully embraced the moment I had been given, and took it all in as I think I was being asked to, the rest..... including the quality of play would take care of itself. And it did.

My golf partners and I have often joked about our Sunday morning ritual. Something like, "Yeah we attend the Our Lady Of The First Tee -sunrise services..every Sunday..." And it gets a snicker or a laugh or two. But putting golf aside, I think this morning I may have attended a sunrise service. Today was not the normal ritual.....it was the spi - ritual. And I learned that there's much to be learned by a simple sunrise on a simple Sunday. Taking a moment, and not taking it for granted. Realizing too, that great joy in solitude can be achieved as you may be a bit more open and perceptive in the company of - yourself.

And experiencing and epiphany so early in a day......there are moments in all our days.....every day.... that a sunrise in our sky, can set in motion a sunrise in our soul.