All Our Golden Hours

 by Charlotte Bennardo

Photo by Min An: https://www.pexels.com/photo/scenic-view-of-the-forest-during-sunrise-1006121/

Each person's perspective of the "golden hour" is as varied as each person. For some, it's the hour after sunrise, when a new day presents itself with all the possibilities and a fresh start. For others, it's around sunset, when the day and its troubles and triumphs are winding down, allowing one to contemplate and consider. And yet others, it's when the workday has ended, dinner is finished, and one can sit back and simply chill as stars circle overhead. Maybe it's the hour after exams are finished and vacation truly starts. Or the height of a celebration, like the introduction of the new Mr. and Mrs. or the successful birth of a baby. 

From my perspective, the golden hour is around midday. I'm bursting with energy, there is time to accomplish many things, my mood is positive, and hope is highest. Every hour has its positives and negatives: I'm not a happy morning person, but if I'm jetting off on vacation, I can slap on a smile. Starry skies and eclipses delight me, although staying up to 2 a.m. to see celestial phenomena does momentarily dim the excitement. Sunsets are stunning and wondrous, but it's the end of a day and I may contemplate what I haven't accomplished, like those revisions, or worrying about tomorrow if I must face something unpleasant, like a hip replacement.

Luckily for us, golden hours can appear at any time. They may last for only an hour or so, but the enjoyment and the memory make even a few minutes of joy all the more intense.

As we move forward into 2026, with all our burdens, worries, hopes, and dreams, may you always appreciate the golden hours of your life. 

Charlotte writes MG, YA, NA, and adult novels in sci fi, fantasy, contemporary, paranormal and romance genres. Her latest YA fantasy novel, The Excalibur Vow, just released. She is the author of the award-winning middle grade Evolution Revolution trilogy, Simple Machines, Simple Plans, and Simple Lessons. She co-authored the YA novels Blonde OPS, Sirenz, and Sirenz Back in Fashion. She has several short stories in various anthologies. Having finished her MFA, she's applying what she learned and is working on several children's and adult novels, and other short stories. She lives in NJ with her family and floofy cat Mink, and a squirrel who insists on digging up her geraniums.