Rays and Clouds

I captured this picture Sunday morning on a run. We were staying at an Airbnb in Loveland, Colorado, following the wedding of our niece a few days earlier. (Congratulations Brittany and Brad!). Our days had been full of family and sights to see. We would be flying home later in the day.

Loveland was the home of my sister Mary Jo for decades, and is still the home of her family. Mary Jo died of metastatic breast cancer in 2019. She would have turned 68 years old tomorrow. The house I visited so many times is now sold. Her grandchildren are growing up and reaching new milestones. Her husband has found a new partner. Life goes on. I imagine Mary Jo observing all of this with a mix of emotions, and some smiles too.

Although the Loveland neighborhood we stayed in was new to us, it wasn’t far from the areas of the city that are familiar. And it wasn’t far from the medical center where Mary Jo was treated during her three bouts of cancer and the hospice where she spent her final hours.

Thoughts and feelings rolled through my mind and heart as the strides rolled by. And then this stunning view of clouds and sunrise came into view. Life goes on. Indeed, life goes on. The sun comes up, very reliably, every day. The power of the sun is a mystery to me. Yes, I know there is plenty of science that can explain it, but the understanding of it all is beyond me. I am okay with that. I remain in awe that this orb sustains life for over eight billion people from 93 million miles away.

I strive to remain fully aware that this day is a gift. Cancer is part of my story too. Active alcoholism could have killed me forty years ago. As Brother David Steindl-Rast reminds us: “If you learn to respond as if it were the first day of your life, and the very last day, then you will have spent this day very well."

With curiosity and gratefulness. With humble awe. That’s how I absorbed the rays of sunshine flowing from the clouds. The sun is so bright that we can’t look at it with our naked eyes. Clouds mute the brightness enough to offer us a view, and also provide the avenue to make the sun’s rays visible.

Clouds and sun. We need both. Our planet needs both. Our life experiences bring us both. Sometimes the sun is too hot and at other times it warms us. Sometimes the clouds are dark and stormy, and sometimes they are wispy and flowing. Such is life. If I have even a little fresh curiosity and renewed gratefulness as I start this day, it will be a good day. Onward!

Next
Next

Always More to Learn: Sandhill Cranes