A Sunrise Valentine
By Mason Stewart
It was six o’clock Saturday morning May 28th, 1960. We sat quietly on top of “our” sand dune about 100 yards north of the South picnic area on Jekyll Island. Official sunrise was still about thirty minutes away, but the eastern sky was already ablaze with a bright orange glow. A glow whose warm reflection danced and shimmered off the glassy smooth ocean surface illuminating the horizon with a million tiny sparkles that chased away any hint of evening chill while beckoning all to stop and stare at the awesome spectacle about to unfold.
It was our first sunrise together. We had pleaded with our parents to let us stay out all night following our high school graduation, but in those days, “’Decent girls’ just don’t do that!” “Why, what would people think?!” So, following a traditional graduation dinner at the King & Prince Hotel, the two of us, armed with a promise to be home by 1:00 a.m., escaped in my aunt’s 1954 Chevy and headed for our secret spot among the sand dunes of Jekyll Island.
There was just a sliver of a moon out that night, but a million bright stars filled the night sky. A slight breeze blew in off the ocean. Occasional flashlights danced along the largely deserted beach as lovers strolled leisurely by, perhaps looking for their special spot, like us, oblivious to the rest of the world. Time stood still as we kissed and shared private feelings that only lovers can express. We talked of a future we hoped would be and looked for shooting stars that make wishes come true.
Alas, time did not actually stand still, so at 12:30 a.m., true to our promise, we reluctantly packed up our dreams in a beach blanket and headed back to Brunswick. I dropped her off at her house, and drove home alone for a few hours of fitful sleep.
At 5:00 a.m., a car horn blew outside my house on Reynolds Street. True to our deal, event though “decent girls” might not be able to stay all night, but if a decent girl happens to have an older brother who’s a good guy, there’s a chance he might just wake up at 5:00 a.m. and drive you back to Jekyll to watch “your special sunrise”.
So there we sat, arms and hearts entwined on our special sand dune on Jekyll Island watching our first sunrise together. I gave her my ring, which she put on a chain around her neck, and we watched in awe as our sun came up on our beach; a giant fire ball that spread its warmth over the island and told the world of our special love. In truth, that sunrise back in 1960 was probably not unlike most other sunrises, but when you are in love, it is clearly unlike any other sunrise that has ever been or will ever be.
On May 29th of this year, my girlfriend and I will return to Jekyll for our 50th wedding anniversary sunrise. This time, if we want to and our kids will let us, we can even stay out all night!
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