Each morning I have been trying to get up to watch the sunrise, a meditation of sorts. There is something reassuring about watching each day begin. I feel like it is reminding me that we too will rise from the darkness and shine our own light into the world again soon.

There are two things I have noticed about these early morning practices.

One is that there is a moment, just before the sun rises over the horizon, where the birds become really loud. They know it is coming and announce it through their joyful song. Even when it is cloudy they still know the sun is about to rise. It is a moment of magic and when I am standing in the cold, waiting, I get a little excited when I suddenly hear them all at once begin their welcome song.

The other thing that I have realised is that the most beautiful sunrises are those that have a bit of cloud or smoke or mist about them. The days that give us the most beautiful sunrises (or sunsets) are generally the days that are not what we would call gorgeous days. The gorgeous days, when the sky is clear and the sun is warm, garner us with a clear and simple sunrise. Still beautiful of course, but without the character of the less than perfect days.

This got me thinking about how wonderfully this reflects human life. In the words of Leonard Cohen, “There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in”. The things that we love are the things that are a bit worn, their pattern and newness rubbed off and the sharp edges a little more contoured to suit the purpose. BECAUSE we love them they’re no longer shiny and new but they are all the better for it.

The Japanese have a beautiful practice of ‘Kintsukuroi’ which is the art of repairing broken pottery with gold or silver with the understanding that something becomes more beautiful because it has been broken and repaired.

This applies to people just as much. Our experiences, good or bad, have shaped and created the beautiful people that we are. From my own experience, I know that my trauma will always be a part of me. It has helped to shape my character, to influence how I interact with people and to be grateful for the life I have and the person I am in the world. And I love that person. It helps me to feel wise and compassionate and to be more present in the world.

I feel the same about this year. Maybe we broke a little, or maybe we have been completely dismantled during this time, but can we find the gold or silver and use it to repair and rebuild? There is an opportunity, do we have the will or the strength to take it? What we deicide now will shape our future, and that may look completely different to what it was looking like 6 months ago.

My advice: Be brave.

With love, Gina

(c) Gina Macauley all text and images
All photos taken in Golden Square except where noted otherwise.