Sunrises

Over the years, poets and writers of great and even not-so-great renown have written of the unquestionable beauty of sunrises. While some may be more memorable than others, each is a sight to behold. While their physical beauty often is breath taking, one of the aspects of sunrises I continue to find most striking is what they represent: a beginning; a do-over; a chance to make the next 24 hours most memorable. As good as the previous days may have been, sunrise is that moment when possibilities exist - a time when one's hopes and dreams do not seem far-fetched or silly. Ultimately, the beauty of a sunrise is that it combines the reality of what is present with the hope of what is possible.


I mention sunrises because they are not unlike what the beginning of any communication connection represents. Two people click or experience an interaction where their thoughts, words, etc. resonate in ways that are compatible, in-sync and in little need of explanation. When that occurs, it, too, is a moment when reality and possibility combine to fill one with a great sense of hope and confidence. Sunrises, of course, occur every day. Moments of communication compatibility are not quite as predictable or regular. Many times, in fact, they are unexpected, thus making them all the more profound.


The real challenge of communication, of course, is not when those special moments occur. It comes in trying to make them last. One can always hit a bulls-eye. The challenge comes in hitting it a second and third time. This takes practice, planning, hard work and great patience. In short, it is not easy, nor should it be. As jaw-dropping as sunrises often are, they appear to us with no effort on our part other than to be an early riser. Successful communication requires the commitment necessary to make that sunrise moment occur throughout the day, not just as its beginning. In its own way, this can be just as profound.