I Will Watch the Sun Rise
On this first new day of the new year, I will watch the Sun rise. I will take pleasure in watching it brighten everything that it touches.
I will turn my head to the dark blue sea after and watch the waves crash onto the dune’s shore.
I will watch the fisherman steer his boat out in the deep because there is usually someone fishing around this time. There is much life in that sea out there.
I will watch a ghost crab sidle away as fast as its legs can carry it from my imposing presence. I will not harm the crab as I am a guest in his sandy abode. This crab shares his home with a myriad of wildlife. I’ve discovered a good number of them so far.
I will watch the terns fly above the sea, making their way towards the Sigatoka River mouth. It looks like fresh fish for breakfast again, for my feathered friends. I will feel my tummy churn too as I have had no breakfast yet.
I will watch my shadow this morning. I will do so because day shadows are a little different from the night ones made by artificial lights. I sometimes whisper affirmations to my reflected darker self, like ‘be courageous’. It’s good to do some self-talks now and then.
I will watch the gentle morning breeze play with the goat-foot shaped leaves of the beach morning glory vines. These vines crawl up the entire slopes of the dunes. I will admire its many purple flowers, who are only too happy to exhibit their pretty selves every day.
I will watch as the light breeze caresses the sand, moving its many small grains across the dune surface. And as the sands move, I will be reminded that dunes are dynamic systems. Change is forever happening on our dunes, but some of them I worry much about.
I will watch with some sadness, the broken trunk of one of the oldest Pandanus trees on the highest point of the dunes. She fell a couple of months ago. She was a symbol for the rangers and maybe, to those who saw her with wise eyes. I will pray that a new Pandanus grow in her place.
I will watch the early risers (humans) like myself, who have come to the dunes. They are from the community below, they who made their homes close to the dunes. They’ve come for their own reasons too. I will wave to them and they to me. I will watch them closely because the dunes’ fate is entwined with theirs.
I will watch the energetic dogs play on the dunes. One chasing the other and then the roles reversed. They will yap with happiness and remind me of the many wonderful tours I’ve had with children on the dunes. The dunes have always had a special sway on children.
I will watch the morning mist slowly dissipate around the Sigatoka Town, making our little town more visible. This is quite nice to witness from the vantage point of the dunes. And I will be reminded how high up in the dunes I am.
I will watch the sand glitter in the new light. It’s true, the dune sand glitters. This is a testimony to its source. I’ve always described this as many tiny stars in a sandy sky. These glitters remind me of why it’s important we protect the dunes.
I will watch my family home in the distance, across the Sigatoka River. I will wonder if my aunt is awake and think of the delicious pies, she may have baked the night before. I grew up in that home and have watched the dunes many a times from there. I believe I was fated to be here.
Finally, I will watch the dunes in its entirety. I will look to the four cardinal directions and be humbled by all I see. I will prostrate myself because such moments are spiritual. I will take comfort in the life I have now and breathe in the new day. I will embrace it because it comes with newer adventures.
I will watch through my smartphone for a scene worthy of capture and if I’m happy with it, I will click away. Then I will post the photograph onto my Facebook to share the moment. I am glad we have such technology because it means my everyday can be part of many people’s every day.
This is how I am intending on starting the new day of 2022. It has many inklings of my yesterday, but I don’t mind. Today is certainly not yesterday. It’s really a brand-new day with as many possibilities as yesterday.
Now what we do with today, that’s purely in our hands. As an advocate for Nature, I hope today you spare a thought, a conversation, or an action for the planet. The urgency to protect our natural world today is as serious as it was yesterday.