Sunrise on New Year’s Day

I believe in watching the sunrise on New Year’s Day. This past January 1st my best friend and I raced around collecting pillows and blankets while throwing on layers of warm clothing. We were preparing for the first sunrise of 2009, an event, we realized, that would come only once in our lives. As we sat atop the Palatine parking garage in my mother’s SUV, Morgan and I decided to make this an annual occasion, as the first sunrise of the year seemed so special, as well as because we’ve known each other since we were five and thought it time we had a tradition of our own.

There was something in the anticipation of waiting for this year’s first sunrise. Something that caused us to change the position of the car multiple times just to be sure we would meet the sun head on that morning. Something that turned us into small children squealing with excitement in the car as the sky began to lighten. That day turned out to be very gray, just as most of the winter days are. It took us at least a half an hour to finally realize that we weren’t going to see the sun rise that morning, because it wasn’t coming out. Even after accepting this fact, we did not regret sitting in the freezing cold morning on the top level of a deserted parking garage for over an hour. It was worth it because this would only happen once in our lives; there is only one first sunrise of each year.

Looking back on this day has made me realize that it is not only the first day of the year that should be special, but every day that we have. Like a doughnut with extra jelly or a fortune cookie that comes true, these days are gifts, life’s little extras that we receive regularly. I believe every day should be treated like New Year’s Day. We should live every day with no regrets; the worst thing in life should be to look back on your life and wish you had done things differently.

Everyday should be filled with resolutions. There is no reason to wait until December 31st to decide what you will change in your life. As a society of procrastinators, we need to be more than the product of our circumstances. By using the ability we’ve been given to change our minds now, we can accomplish more in life than we’ve ever imagined.

I believe that everyday can be like a New Year’s Eve party. Why shouldn’t we await the coming of each new day, spending the time with friends and family? Everyday can be filled with excitement and anticipation, if only we allow ourselves no regrets and the ability to achieve everything we want in life.