Mornings

Mornings are my favorite time of the day. Especially spring and summer mornings.

I love the crisp, slightly cool air as the sun is just beginning to rise. I love the quiet and the slow transition into the hustle and bustle of our normally very busy days. During the weekdays, our alarm goes off at 4:30 am. To me, this is not morning and if Kaelyn is not demanding her breakfast yet, I hit snooze for at least 30 minutes. Waking up slowly has always been my preference. There’s serenity in our morning routine. Roger and I don’t talk much. We just do. We get up and turn on the news. Roger heads to the coffee maker to get our morning jolt of caffeine ready. I sleepily prepare Kaelyn’s bottle, feed her and proceed to get showered and ready for work. Itty Bitty, our cat, is usually more awake. Mewing for attention or to be let out. By the time I’m out of the shower, I’m fully awake. Roger is usually back in bed, playing with Kaelyn, watching the news and drinking his coffee. I normally don’t have time to be envious that his days start later. After I leave for work, Roger lays Kaelyn down for her morning nap. This is when his mornings truly start.

The two block walk between the parking garage and the building I work in is heaven in the mornings. By 6:20 am the city is usually just waking up. There are few people walking on the streets. A few cars making their ways to wherever they go during the day. Mostly, I share this walk with birds and squirrels…a homeless person every now and then. I can see lights trickle on in the apartments I walk by. Alarm clocks just beginning to ring. I spend the short walking breathing in the air and thinking about my day. I always stop to realize that I have no idea what the day will actually bring. But mornings seem peaceful. Sometimes, they are the calm before the storm, sometimes they are just a wonderful start to a wonderful day. From my office, I have a great view of the city and normally for the first 15 minutes of work, I can continue to watch the day begin. By 7 am the streets are usually busy. The traffic is steady. The morning is in full swing.

Saturday mornings are my favorite. These mornings we usually don’t have to rush to get anywhere. We can stretch the time out into the afternoon if we want, because we are not bound by time. When we do have a schedule, it usually is because we have planned something fun that day. Saturday mornings are my reward for working hard all week. Even on the weekends, I get up early. Sleeping in to me is getting out of bed at 5:30 am. Kaelyn seems to sleep in on Saturday too….not waking until around 7. Roger gets up when Kaelyn does. For the hour and a half I have to myself in the mornings, I truly relax. I drink my coffee on our back patio with Itty Bitty at my side. It’s the only time of the week I have the ability to completely clear my head. It’s the only time I am truly calm. Sometimes, I read a book and sometimes I walk around our yard examining our plants and trees. Other times, I just sit and close my eyes and take deep breaths. Maybe this is my meditation.

When my family wakes up on Saturday the joy truly begins. We all pile on the bed while Kaelyn eats her breakfast. We talk about the weekend ahead. Laugh and joke. Marvel at the miracle that is our daughter. We are lazy and happy. Roger makes breakfast most Saturdays. Lately, we eat outside and I eat as slowly as I can so that I can postpone the real start to the day as long as possible. Roger inhales his food. We have the same conversation every week about why I’m picking at my breakfast. Of course I like it….yes, this is the only time I ever savor meals. It’s not the meal I really savor. It’s the moment. Finishing a late morning breakfast usually signals the end of my favorite morning of the week. I want to make it last. Stop time. I love mornings.