One More Day

This summer I had the opportunity to travel to New Zealand and Australia with People to People Student Ambassador Program. While we were there, I took pictures of many of things. The picture that caught my attention the most was one of a sunset as we were on a ferry to Long Island in Australia. This picture in particular reminded me of life. The sun rises every morning and sets every evening. Sometimes we forget how precious life is because we are constantly rushing life by.
The sun rises and another day is given to us to live. Each sunrise is a blessing for this reason. Some people will never awake to see a sunrise again. The sunrise can also mean a new beginning. The birth of a baby is a new beginning. A new day is different, scary, and complicated. Just because something went wrong the previous day doesn’t mean it can’t change. Another day is also a blessing and a miracle. Someone who has cancer and only a limited time to survive will have time to cherish every minute they have with their family and friends on their new day.
Just as the sun rise can represent a blessing, miracle, and new beginning so can a sunset. In the picture One More Day, the sunset can represent a blessing and a miracle because it was another opportunity to live, love, or laugh. It can also represent quietness and relaxation because things are calming down and it is the end of a hard working day. However, the sunset can also be the start of a new beginning. For some, this might have been the last sunset they will ever see. No one is guaranteed a tomorrow and they may embark on a new journey when they least expect it. In this way the sunset can represent death.
The ocean engulfs the majority of the picture and represents life. Without water nothing will survive. The vast majority of the picture has captured the stillness of the ocean. However the waves occur in the ocean can represent problems about family, friends, or simply a test that you need to pass. Waves can also represent the struggles in ones life. Struggles can be peer-pressure, choosing the right friends, family, or dealing with the loss of a loved one. Decisions can also represent the waves. Everyday we make numerous amounts of decisions. Some decisions are easier to handle such as ’what to wear today’, but others can be harder one example may be ’should I do or not do this?’ The waves no matter how big or small are always going to be there. There is literally no running away from them.
There is an island visible in the picture which represents stability. Although the island may change its physical appearance will always be there. Everyday sand leaves the island but new sand comes in. The island reminds me of ourselves. We are stable but are constantly changing, and we are surrounded by the ocean and the waves.
Although we change we have some family and friends who remain by our side. Sometimes it is hard to see them and know that they are there. For this reason I thought the sky could represent our family and friends because although we are surrounded by a fast past world we are also surrounded by the sky that never goes away. Sometimes the clouds cover the sky and the world becomes dark and gloomy, but the sky is always there.
As someone looks at the picture One More Day, they can see the reflection of the sun in the ocean. The dark parts of the ocean can be the unknown or mysterious, but as the light increases the unknown and mysterious can be revealed. The sun rays are our lighted path. Sometimes we are too scared to walk in the darkness. The reflection of the sun can be the memories good and bad of ones life. One can also not walk away from the reflection for it is a mirror of what that person has done.
The next time a person looks at a sunrise or sunset, they should try to remember the ocean, waves, sky, and the overall meaning of life. They can gain so much from one picture but gain so much more if they don’t let life pass them by. Take time to enjoy life for its blessing and miracles not just for the money that one has received. As the sun rays lay across the ocean and the light or darkness shines, who will run and hide and who will stay?