Rise & Shine

I woke up this morning from a good night’s sleep with a clear, insistent call repeating in my mind…
“Get up and go greet the morning sun.”

I almost didn’t.

The sky outside my window was already pink, which made me think there was no way I’d be ready and out the door in time. I also loathe rushing through my mornings. My bed was warm and cozy and very much inviting me to stay.

But the phrase kept repeating.

So I got up. I quickly drank some water, used the bathroom, tossed on clothes and shoes, and hurried down the hill to greet the morning sun. And after all that rushing, I arrived with plenty of time to spare… lol.

I stretched and stood facing the East, waiting for the sun to fully rise. I’ll admit, I was hoping, somewhat expectantly, that a big buck or some other woodland creature might make an appearance. Instead, a group of buzzards flew overhead, their wings making an eerie, unmistakable sound. Birds fluttered and twittered around me, and at one point a small bird, possibly a female cardinal, came to rest in a bush nearby.

I remember thinking, Well, nothing spectacular happened… but this is still pretty cool, and I’m glad I answered the call.

Almost instantly, I recalled something I had said in a video I recorded yesterday, that watching the sunrise is something I truly enjoy but don’t do as often as I’d like. That’s when it dawned on me, no pun intended, it genuinely fits, that this moment of joy was a gift I had been called forward to give myself.

Waiting for the sun.
Watching my breath rise in soft puffs of steam.
Admiring the colors painted across the sky.
Feeling the cold air kiss my skin.

Without planning it, without efforting or strategizing, I was simply showing up for myself.

That realization brought something else to mind. Leo is my rising sign, what I’m heading toward in this lifetime. And if we’re meant to “begin the new year as we wish to continue,” then rising with the symbol of my rising sign felt like a meaningful step toward following my soul’s unique path forward this year.

I stood there stretching, thinking, giving thanks. Gratitude for the blessings of 2025, and a quiet claiming of the blessings yet to come. I stayed until the sun was fully above the trees on the horizon. I greeted the sun, thanked the Creator for calling me forward, and thanked myself for answering.

Then I turned and walked back up the hill, where the forest would obscure the view of the sun for another hour or so.

Before going inside, I looked back once more and smiled as I saw the first rays of sunlight glowing like liquid gold through the trees of the forest.

As I stepped back into the warmth of the house, I couldn’t help but chuckle at how very New Year, New You, New Start this all felt, especially in a year when I’ve been the most vocal about how January 1st isn’t actually the true beginning of the new year.

And yet… here we are.

Maybe it’s proof that any day can be the first day of a new year.
Or maybe God has a sense of humor.
Or maybe both things are true at once.

So I’ll leave you with this:

How are you being called to show up for yourself and shine your light today and throughout this year?

If any of this resonated and you’d like a gentle place to reflect, realign, and consciously orient toward what’s next, I currently hold space for you to show up for yourself in Contemplation Sessions. I meet you there and provide support with presence, truth, and intuitive guidance. You’re warmly invited. Sessions can be scheduled HERE.