Morning Musings

By: Elizabeth Redhead Kriston

Morning is my favorite time of day. By morning, I mean early morning. 

Ideally, I wake at 5:00 am. This is the time of day when everything is still. Everything is quiet. The family is resting peacefully, dreaming about whatever their crazy minds dream about. Even the dogs are still asleep. As they grunt and kick and whine through their dreams of chasing bunnies or getting treats, I start my day

I slip from bed and tiptoe downstairs. 

Some mornings I pull on my walking clothes and go for a walk. In the past, I spent an hour breathing deep and doing yoga poses in the dark living room the only light was the yellow glow the streamed in from the still lit street lights.

I might sit at my computer and write. My thoughts free to flow with no one vying for my attention and asking me questions they already know the answer to. I don't have to struggle to remember what I want to write while the kids argue or the dogs bark. 

I love the silence.

On warm days I open the windows and curtains and listen to the birds sing their morning songs. I watch the bunnies wake and nibble on the dew covered clover. 

On my walks, I breathe deep taking in the fresh morning air. No cars interrupt my reverie. I encounter no other people at that early hour. I catch deer unaware as they nibble crabapples from the tree near the train tracks.

On my way back from my walk, I start to hear my neighbors stir. Scents of coffee waft from their open windows. Babies giggle as they presumably snuggle with mom and dad in bed. A few cars pull out of driveways, their sleepy-eyed occupants preparing for the long commute to work or the early shift at the hospital.

Some mornings I can catch the moon before it fades away in the brightening day. I watch the sun emerge from the horizon giving off a milky glow in the clouds. Some mornings that glow transforms into brilliant hues of orange, pink and purple streaking the sky with so much beauty it takes my breath.

Back home from my walk, I reluctantly brew my first cup of coffee knowing its fragrance will cause the others to stir, ending my silent and peaceful morning. The need for the rich sweet elixir that is my coffee overrules my need for peace and quiet.

Some mornings I spend tidying-up. I sweep, mop and dust making my home fresh and clean. The act of cleaning and the resulting sparkling house is invigorating. When my house shines I feel motivated to do more. It makes me happy and strangely calm.

Other mornings I cook. I make pancakes from scratch. Whip up hummus. I simmer soup, stock or spaghetti sauce. I bake banana bread. I peruse cookbooks for ideas. I think up creative ways to use what is in the fridge.

I might snuggle up with a novel and read for an hour in the early morning. I might surf the internet looking for vacation homes or searching for that lake house I want to own someday.

Sometimes I just sit and think. I sit on my patio or I look out the window at the blossoming day and let my mind wander

I make lists and plan. I prepare for work. I pack lunches. I watch TV. I listen to whatever music I like.

Mornings are mine. When I have a quiet morning alone, I have a better day. It prepares me for whatever life will throw at me when the rest of the world wakes. 

I love my early mornings