Sunrise

I think the term sunrise can hold multiple meanings. Aside from the literal definition referring to the point at which the sun breaks over the horizon each day, I think sunrise can hold many figurative meanings as well. Maybe it can be compared to falling in love. Perhaps it can be used to mark the dawning of a new chapter in life. I like that. I find it fitting that the sun is rising on a new chapter of my life as I prepare to live in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Have you ever paused for a moment to consider our Universe? It's continuing to expand at relativistic speeds. More and more galaxies are forming and being discovered. There must be trillions and trillions of Sun-like stars speckled throughout the Universe. In our home galaxy, the Milkyway, there are believed to be between 200 and 400 billion stars. Even with all of these stars, our lives rely solely on one: the Sun. Isn't that wild? I think so.

Think of how many sunrises must occur throughout the Universe. Think of how many new days dawn even in the farthest reaches of space. Think of how many sunrises must be observed on every Earth-like planet that might exist. It's simply mind-numbing. We're surrounded by something that may best be measured in terms of infinity yet we exist in a space that's too small to account for in the grand scheme of things. Even so, as long as the Sun continues to rise with reliability and consistency, I think that our minute corner of the Universe is pretty grand.

A little closer to home, the Sun has already risen on Japan. In about eight hours, the sunrise will reach the East Coast of the United States. While we don't view this phenomenon at the same time as our friends in Japan, we view the same thing. The sunrise only differs based on perceptions. It's transformed based on physical weather conditions and perceived differently by each individual. I think we all see what we want to see.

This is very similar to our lives. We live the way we believe we should live. We all perceive life differently. We all find our own ways and we all define success based on our beliefs and values. My chapters may differ greatly from your chapters, just as my sunrise may differ greatly from your sunrise, but in the end, we all view the same phenomenon just as we all experience what life has to offer.

I'd like to briefly mention the Gulf Coast--in particular, the Greater Houston, TX area--as millions of people are reeling from the effects of Hurricane Ike. Ike made landfall this morning at 2:10am CDT as a strong Category 2 hurricane with winds reaching 110mph. From all accounts, there is widespread devastation over much of Southeast Texas, particularly in the Houston/Galveston areas. I think it's a good idea to keep everyone down there in thought as the long recovery and rebuilding process begins.