#94- Sunsets

I found myself sitting on a dock in Muskoka cottage country, beside my girlfriend, last weekend watching the sun set on another great day and another amazing summer. 

It was a bittersweet moment, knowing that summer was done and I was leaving Ottawa and everything that city meant; my home for the last four years, memories, lessons learned, cute Parliament cats and of course my girlfriend who lives and works there. 

Even with all that in the back of my mind I just couldn't find it in me to be sad. Maybe it was the promise of s'mores, or the smell of BBQ wafting from the cottage (you can tell I like food).

But really I think the reason was the sunset. Next to its beauty, as the sun slipped behind the tree-covered hills and calm waters, the sunset signaled, as corny as it sounds, the beginning of something new. If I've learned anything it's that new is scary, but arrives at your doorstep anyways and should be embraced if you want to enjoy life.

The sunset is a moment to reflect on what has been, the day that has passed, the moments, the things you've learned, the obstacles and the triumphs you've had. It is a marker to prepare you for what is to come; a great night full of fun or a dark few hours to persevere through.

It is the end to one day and the promise that a new one will emerge, it is an end so a beginning can emerge. The daily example the sunset gives is important to me right now, on the cusp of a transition from school to applying my lessons to something that is hopefully progressive and helpful to society. It shows me that maybe new isn't just scary, but a chance to venture into another era of darkness, light and, at the end, another sunset that I will lament, but take joy in as well.

And most importantly the sunset is there to give hope. When the sky paints itself in colours thought unimaginable it shows that the impossible is not so impossible, that anything is within reach, that there is something that is still good in the world even if it seems like everything is crumbling around you.

So I am grateful for sunsets. I am grateful that I have been around for 8016 of them so far, out of car windows, airplanes, from desks, stores, porches, patios, half way around the world and right at home, 

wherever that may be. I am grateful for the way sunsets signify change and the opportunities that it brings, chances to have fun, be strong, achieve the impossible, reflect, get better and give thanks. 

#75- The Penny

It is time to say goodbye to long standing Canadian icon. A constant in this nation since before Confederation. A small token with a powerful symbol. Today the Canadian Mint made their last penny and it's a sad day.

Yes that weird jingle when I walk down the street is from the scores of pennies in my pocket and sure I have mountains of the copper coin stacked all over my room and getting in the way. In short, I, like many in this country, sometimes see pennies as a nuisance, but they've meant something special to me since my five-year-old self was given a handful of shiny cents as my first ever payday.

Since that day when I quickly stuffed the pennies into my Power Rangers wallet, the little coins meant a sense of hope, an opportunity, a door to something new and fascinating. I was finally part of the adult world where I had money, I had responsibility, I had the option of buying the Sour Keys or Fuzzy Peaches or saving up and splurging on an Air Head candy.

And I'm sure everyone remembers how amazing it was to pick up a dropped penny as a kid. The glint of the coin was piece of sunshine in your day, a slice of good luck to hold tight. That's why whenever I see one on the street or the ground I'm tempted to pick it up and relive this childlike sense of wonder, optimism and bliss. But I stop myself, smile and leave it for someone else to experience those feelings (dimes and quarters are another story; hey an unemployed, recent grad has got to eat right?).

I've heard a few of the economic arguments for and against eliminating the penny, but the real pro of having the coin around is to remember these positive feelings that we all lose sight of sometimes as we grow up and see the tough things the world has to offer. It's the opportunity of the penny, the way they can band together to make a difference, what they represent that can teach us a thing or two.

So I am grateful for the penny. I am grateful for the positive way it has made me see the world and for those times when it has meant, quite simply, a small piece of optimism in my day. The penny will no longer be made in Canada, but it will still live on in my memories and scattered around the nooks and crannies of my room.

#64- Clean Slates

Thousands of people all over the province and a couple dozen warriors of the ice will begin to sketch a new landscape on a fresh canvass, a clean slate, today.

Today is the day when change could sweep Ontario or the status quo may reign supreme as voters get to flock to the polls and cast their ballot for the premier of the province.

Tonight will also mark the first game of the season for the Toronto Maple Leafs, ready to take on a 54 year Stanley Cup drought and bring glory back to Yonge Street.

These two things have more in common than (ego) bruising fights, cheap shots and people in blue who haven't won anything significant in a while. They are both an example of clean slates, and that's what's so magnificent about them.

A fresh start, a blank canvass, a clean slate. Whatever name you prefer, it invokes a feeling of optimism, a shared hope for something better, something that you can have a hand in creating even if it's just to experience history or jump in the air with crazed excitement.

It offers the opportunity to participate, not only know that the slate is there, but to draw on it, critique it, have your voice heard by voting or yelling at the TV screen at the local bar.

So go out there and make a mark on the slate, or make a huge drawing and colour it in while you're at it. Every day can be a blank canvass ready for your ideas and goals and actions and passion to be dabbed, brushed and thrown on.

So I am grateful for blank slates. I am grateful for our democratic system that allows for citizens to wipe everything clean and plan together what the new one is going to look like. I am grateful for what we can't see on a clean slate, but what we can feel; hope and optimism and a call to action. Take advantage of the clean slates in life and give others a chance to erase their mistakes and draw a new picture. Most of all be proud of where you're from and go out and vote today, it's not too late!

#56- Sunrises

I've seen many a sunrise in my life, even a couple from a plane window, but two moments come to mind when I think about the sun coming up in the morning.

Kenya is a country full of stunning natural beauty, but one of the best sights on my trip to Kenya was the sun rising over the community of Salabwek on our last day there. A couple of us had gone out early to get one last look at the school site that had been our workplace for two weeks and the sun was ready to greet us. The sun made everything the most awesome shade of reddish-orange I've ever seen and gave me a sense of hope and happiness for the trip, the project and the great times I had had.

It's nearly three years later, and again, the sunrise has given me a little glimmer of hope. As I have said, I am currently working the over night shift at work, which can get tiring and more than a little discouraging. The first night I was working, I was taking out the garbage (maybe I should start taking the garbage out more) and the sun was beginning to rise. It gave me a little hope. I had survived my first night, and I had been rewarded with an amazing view.

So I am grateful for the sunrise. I am grateful for this phenomenon that gives such beauty to the world and such hope to me. I am grateful that such a sight happens to signal of a new beginning to every day. My dad has a saying I've always remembered; No matter what happens, in the morning the sun will rise and God will still love you.