100 things I love/1

For a while now I’ve been following Tanya Shadrick on social media. She’s a lovely precense on Twitter, and has a great substack project based on her recently published book “The Cure for Sleep”. Tanya nearly died following the birth of her first child, and this memoir looks at her life before this event and her life afterwards. It’s an inspirational call to live bravely and creatively, and I absolutely loved it. It’s a book I know I’m going to re-read.

In a recent article in the Irish Examiner, Tanya suggests a good place to start is to make a list of 100 things you love. So that’s what I’m going to do. And this is number 1.

Sunrise

Oh yes, what better place to start? This time of year the sunrise happens at such a convenient time. They’re not always great, and while the sun obviously comes up every day, you don’t always get a proper sunrise. When it does happen, though, it’s spectacular – yesterday there was a clear sky, a last trace of a crescent moon, and the fire of the sun just creeping over the horizon. There was frost on the ground, and a clear spectrum of light across the sky.

In the Nambian desert we were dragged out early to see sunrise over the dunes. It was uncomfortable – I’m sure we grumbled, toiling up the dune – but the light! Liquid gold, creeping over the sand, and the clear lines between light and shade. We came down exultant and uplifted. Sunrises in the Australian outback were green and gold, and in Rajasthan I saw a peacock fanning out its tail in the dust as the sun came up.

London sunrises, too – heading home in a party dress as the sun came up between the high buildings. A walk of glory to the tube station, a walk of honour down grey streets: never, ever, ever a walk of shame. And when I did the Moonwalk many years ago – before I ever dreamed of cancer affecting me – the sunrise was a lift that I really needed. The light crept into me, gave me new strength, new energy.