Early Mornings

I have always been a morning person. Growing up on a farm, we sometimes had chores to do and then we would get ready for school and head down the driveway to catch the bus. No matter the season of the year, I was up and on with the day. I carried this into adulthood, the exception being my drinking days when I would often be out until early in the morning, just 2-3 hours before my usual wake-up time these days.

For years, the early morning was time to work. Plan teaching lessons, write up practice plans, create presentations, maybe do some journaling or write a letter. In the midst of this time in my life, I also began a gratitude journal. I wrote in it every morning for many years. It helped set me on a path in my recovery from alcoholism that would open many doors in my cluttered and besieged mind.

I still do some journaling most mornings. It may be in my gratitude journal, or my meditation journal—my newer endeavor. I thought about trying meditation, then tried it and struggled to maintain a practice. More recently, in the last five years or so, I began to see benefits from the meditation and mindfulness practices I was trying. It has only been in the last couple of years though where it has truly become a part of my morning routine. It is now as cherished as my morning writing time.

I love to step out in the early morning air too. My first steps are usually to take our dog Oliver out for his first walk of the day. Seasons change, and I must say I am looking forward to stepping out in shorts and a t-shirt, and sitting out on our patio enjoying coffee and birds singing. It won’t be this week though in my part of the world.

I am so grateful to be a morning person. So grateful that writing, mindful meditation, and physical exercise are my morning priorities now. The quiet around me is now matched by a peaceful quiet within me on most mornings. I am not hungover. I am not spinning in my head. I am enjoying this time. It takes work and practice to reach this peaceful place, but the rewards are rich. Onward!