Thanks for celebrating beauty this past yearCOFFEE WITH WARREN, with Warren Harbeck |
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Theme of sunrises and sunsets around the world received the most reader responses and contributions in 2017. Photos by 17 of our readers Here we are again: the sunset of one year, the sunrise of the next. My New Year’s resolution at the start of 2017 was “to do my part in healing a broken world by showing more gratitude for all the beauty around us, especially as celebrated in and through our amazing coffee companions.” Well, folks, through your example and contributions over the past 12 months, you have not disappointed me, as I hope I have not disappointed you in honouring the beauty you have shared at our table. By camera, canvas and comment, you have extolled the buds of spring, blossoms of summer, breathtaking colours of fall, and blessings of snow in winter, and allowed us to be embraced by the full moon and views along life’s highways and byways. You have offered wisdom on purposeful living and standing with one another in the face of struggles, finding strength through the songs in your hearts, restoring harmony through forgiveness, and what it means to be community builders. Yes, in so many ways over the past year you have made me grateful for the gifts of beauty you’ve shared with us. Based on the number of responses I’ve received, however, there were two themes that stood out above the rest. In second place was the theme of overcoming the bigotry of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and racism through respect-based appreciation for our common humanity and interfaith goodwill (columns for March 30 and April 6) and Stoney Nakoda First Nation wisdom (August 24). First place belongs to the series of five columns (November 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30) on sunrises and sunsets from across Canada and around the world, including a sunrise sundog and sunrise rainbow right here in Cochrane. Our coffee companions near and far couldn’t resist sharing with us their amazing photos of those beautiful skies, as witnessed to by the whole set of 17 images featured in this week’s column. So, what’s my New Year’s resolution for 2018? To continue celebrating the beauty and wisdom that you, my coffee companions, are bringing to the journey of life and sharing at our table. Happy New Year!
© 2017 Warren Harbeck |