“It’s too cold, it’s so dark, why do we have to wake up so early, can I go back to bed after this?” Whined 7 year old Danyal. His grandmother had woken him up at 4:30am on a Saturday to watch his first sunrise on the first day of half-term.

“It will start getting brighter any second now, just keeping sipping the hot chocolate, and you’ll be as warm and cosy as you were before came out here”, she reassuredly said, she was being patient, as she had been for the most of her life. She knew a moment like this on it’s own wouldn’t have a profound impact on the boy, but it would be an experience that perhaps years later he would appreciate and perhaps even willingly indulge in when the the world, his homework and his video games weren’t competing for his attention.

“I can see it now, you know when you’re in a dark place for a long time your eyes can see clearer after a while, they adjust to the light, or the lack of it, we learn’t that in science”, Danyal said with some enthusiasm.

“It’s the start of a new day, this is the most wonderful thing in the universe we’re about to witness, light from the Sun”. She said to him kindly.

“Chocolate milk is the most wonderful thing in the universe, then the Sun”, he said back to her with a cheeky smile. It was one of his goofy jokes, but she loved him for that, his sense of humour, it was a part of his character, and it reminded her of childhood.

“The sunrise signals new beginnings, new opportunities to do good things, the start fresh, full of energy after a rested night’s sleep” she said with a thoughtful smile on her face. For her this was life itself being reawakened, refreshed, a day full of time for her to live her life the best she could, with what limited time she had left on this Earth.

“Don’t you need a full night’s sleep before you can be full of energy, I’m full of energy when I’m doing something fun and forget the time. Sitting here in the dark waiting for the Sun to wake up is making me think about how slow time is when you’re bored”, he replied, as kindly as he could, but also as brutally honestly as he felt.

“That’s exactly why we’re here, to spend this time enjoyed a wonderous moment. You know, I won’t always be here and I want you to have these moments as memories of good times with your Grandmother”. She said as she closed her eyes and sighed a little.

“I know, but I would rather help you with something, or we can play a game, I can teach you how to play a game, that’s a fun memory”, again he was being polite, but honest.

“I would love to play a game with you, and you can teach me anytime, but sunrises are a once a day opportunity, and you have so many years ahead of you to enjoy them as you get older, as a reminder of time”. She wasn’t sure how to finish her sentence but believed that it worked to make her point as best she could given the circumstances.

“That’s a cool golden glow starting”, he said.

“As the sunshine slowly reaches us enjoy the glow, the warmth, it really will give you the energy boost you need to start your day fresh.” She was now trying to apply logic without explaining the science, something he found a little difficult to comprehend, but perhaps it was a generational thing.

“You get a lot of your light from electronic devices however the Sun is the ultimate source of light for us all”. She said to him.

As the light reveals all the details once shrouded in shadows the young boy stares wonderously at what once was concealed.

“Since I’m awake so early will I have a longer day?” He asks his grandmother.

“You will have a long day filled with hope and aspirations, right after breakfast. Did you enjoy the sunrise?” She replies with a smile on her face, knowing where his line of questioning was most likely leaning.

“So I can play my video games from now?” He asks as wholeheartedly as a yound child can for what they believe is their deepest desire.

“Yes, and thank you for getting up so early and sharing this with me, I feel like my day too will be filled with hope, hope that you’ll brush your teeth before you start gaming?” She asks knowing he wouldn’t have understood why she wanted him to experience this yet, but hoping with all her heart that one day when he’s older he’ll understand the significance of the monent.

Her greatest desire was to experience a beautiful moment with her grandchild and see him happy, and she knows what makes him happy is hot chocolate and video games, for now. But one day he’ll see another sunrise and remember his grandmother when she’s long gone, and know that she loved him and loved for him what he loved for himself.

The warmth of the sun beaming on their skin starts their day with optimism for the future, even if that future only accounts for breakfast for now.