Sunrise Hope ⛅

This card is for all sorts of moments: The birth of an infant and a celebration of new beginnings. Encouragement and support in a long season of waiting. For friends who love sunrises.

What will you use it for today?

But just quickly...

On this page

  • A list of detailed ideas for how to echo the themes in this card design for specific occasions and events (head to the drop-down below).
  • Our quiet reflections on the card themes of hope, beginnings and waiting.
  • A step-by-step example of how one can draft a message for this card using the Flyways Method & Planner (scroll right to the end!).
  • A comment section for you to leave your thoughts and see those of others.

Plus even more!

Next time a sunrise steals your breath or a meadow of flowers leaves you speechless, remain that way.

Max Lucado

So... why is this card part of the Simple Joys Collection?

Puppies are joy.

Sunrises are joy.

Hillsides are joy.

...'nuf said.

Getting Specific

What's the occasion (or non-occasion)?

Birthday

This moment of watching a new day begin feels symbolic of another year in their life journey. This card speaks to both reflection and possibility. Consider writing about:

  • The beauty they bring to others' lives, just as the sunrise brings light to the landscape.
  • Their ability to remain hopeful and patient through challenges, like waiting for dawn.

'Just Because'

True friendship means having someone who sits beside you in silence, watching for the light. Consider writing about:

  • The comfort of being fully understood without needing words.
  • Times when your friend has been a faithful companion through darkness.
  • How they provide stable ground when everything feels uncertain.

New Baby

This image of patient waiting for sunrise perfectly captures the mix of exhaustion and wonder in those early days with a newborn. Consider writing about:

  • The precious, fleeting nature of this time—how quickly night turns to day, and phases shift before we're ready.
  • How the challenging moments and wonder-filled ones coexist in these early days, and that's perfectly normal.
  • The faithful companionship needed during this time of adjustment.

Bereavement

The sunrise offers powerful symbolism for grief—darkness doesn't last forever, though enduring it requires courage. Consider writing about:

  • The enduring presence of love and memories even in silence.
  • How healing will eventually come without diminishing the depth of love.
  • Your commitment to remember their loss alongside them.

Engagement/Anniversary/Wedding

A shared sunrise captures the essence of partnership—witnessing both darkness and light together. This card reminds us that relationships renew daily. Consider writing about:

  • How your relationship has evolved from the mystery of early days to the warm certainty you now share.
  • The comfort of having someone to sit with through difficult times while awaiting brighter days.
  • How your shared landscape has grown more vibrant through your journey together.

Congratulations

This image captures that moment when persistence is finally rewarded with first light. This card acknowledges both the journey and the achievement. Consider writing about:

  • The challenges they overcame that make this success especially meaningful.
  • How their achievement creates possibilities for growth and new beginnings.
  • The quiet dignity with which they've pursued their goals.

Good Luck

Facing new beginnings requires patience and faith, like waiting for sunrise. This card speaks to quiet courage rather than forced confidence. Consider writing about:

  • The strength it takes to sit with uncertainty while believing in what's to come.
  • Your confidence in their ability to navigate this transition.
  • How even periods of waiting contain beauty and potential.

Thank You

Sometimes we need others to help us see that sunrise is coming. This card speaks to gratitude for someone who brought light to difficult times. Consider writing about:

  • How their support remained present without judgment during your darkest moments.
  • Specific actions that helped you recognize better days were ahead.
  • The hope they planted when nothing seemed to be growing.

Watch sunrises, not Netflix.

Anonymous

Reflections

  • Waiting

    There's an uncomfortable truth about waiting that we rarely acknowledge: it's often beyond our control. Real life waiting rarely feels peaceful in the moment; it's usually filled with tension, doubt, and the struggle to remain present. Yet there's something powerful about choosing to sit with uncertainty rather than fighting against it. When we can't force the sun to rise any faster, we might discover that our waiting itself becomes a form of strength. Not because it's easy, but because it requires us to engage with reality as it is, not as we wish it to be.

  • Companionship

    Sometimes the most profound support comes not from grand gestures but from simple presence. In our most difficult moments, we often don't need someone to fix our problems or offer perfect advice. We need someone who will sit beside us in the blue darkness, without trying to rush us toward the light. True companionship acknowledges that some journeys can't be hurried or shared, but we don't have to face them entirely alone. The faithful presence of another reminds us that while our experiences may be individual, our humanity connects us.

  • Hope

    Hope isn't always the bright, confident feeling we wish it to be. Sometimes it's just a faint lightening on the horizon when we've become accustomed to darkness. The soft yellow light in the image doesn't immediately transform the landscape. Real hope often begins this way: not as certainty but as possibility. It doesn't deny the reality of our current circumstances but suggests they aren't the complete story. The most authentic hope doesn't promise that everything will be perfect. It simply reminds us that there is something more than the darkness, and the light will surely dawn.

What next? How do I actually use this and write? 

Good question, friend. 

Our Flyways Method & Planner is designed for exactly this situation. You can do it on any odd piece of paper you have lying around (although you may have received a Planner with your purchase). The Flyways Method is based on three steps: 

  1. A reflection on the person you're writing to 
  2. A heart-check, regarding one's true feelings and observations 
  3. A question: Will this serve them and is the time right? 

Let me demonstrate... 

Imagine I have a close friend who is starting cancer treatment next week. They've always been the strong one, the one others lean on. Now they're facing months of uncertainty, and though they're putting on a brave face, it's natural to be scared.

Using the Flyways Method and thinking about the card themes of growth and faithfulness, I could jot down the following notes: 

Step 1: See the Person

Who is this card really for?

  • A friend who has always been strong for others, now facing vulnerability
  • Someone dealing with a medical journey with an uncertain outcome
  • A person who might struggle with accepting help from others
  • Someone who needs permission to have hard days while maintaining hope

Step 2: Check Your Heart

What's true for you about this person?

  • I genuinely admire their courage even when they're afraid
  • I've noticed how they've been researching and preparing practically, while still processing emotionally
  • I want them to know they don't have to be strong all the time
  • I believe in their resilience, but don't want to minimize their struggle

Step 3: Truth & Timeliness

What would serve them right now?

  • Acknowledging both their fear and strength without toxic positivity
  • Letting them know they won't face the darkness alone
  • Offering practical support without overwhelming them
  • Providing hope that feels grounded, not idealistic

The Message

Looking at the card with the girl and dog watching the sunrise, I crafted this message:

Dear Jenna, 

I'm thinking of you as you start treatment. I know that sometimes all we can do is sit in the difficult moments and wait for light, and I've seen how you face things with courage. I really admire that. Please know that even if I haven't messaged you on a given day, you will still be on my mind. Seriously - I have your face on my fridge. 

Treatment starts Monday. I could be there at 8 with your favourite breakfast sandwich and that tea you like. Or if you'd rather go alone, I will come over when you're ready. Either way, I'm here. 

With love, 
Cass

How I Applied the Method

Cards like this are always especially difficult. And honestly, I'm never sure I quite get them right. But I felt as though using the Flyways Method helped me develop something genuine and actually reach out, rather than procrastinate until it was too late. 

First, I acknowledged Jenna's current reality - facing treatment, dealing with uncertainty, and the tension between being strong and feeling vulnerable. The message speaks directly to that specific situation rather than offering generic encouragement. 

Then I recognised my genuine admiration for their courage. I recognised that I could commit to being physically present at times, but didn't want to over-promise and disappoint, so I brainstormed the specific practical support I wanted to offer in the first instance, with the view of continuing to do this along Jenna's treatment journey.

I checked what would be timely to say in this situation, and wanted to make sure I did the following things: 

  • Acknowledging difficulty while offering hope
  • Making a specific, practical offer of support
  • Giving Jenna agency by offering options for how I can help

The message avoids toxic positivity ("Everything happens for a reason") or empty platitudes ("Stay positive!") while still offering authentic hope grounded in the reality of their situation.

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How sweet the morning air is! See how that one little cloud floats like a pink feather from some gigantic flamingo…. How small we feel with our petty ambitions and strivings in the presence of the great elemental forces of Nature!

Arthur Conan Doyle

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