Morning Quiet
March 04, 2013
I cup my warm mug of coffee between both hands as I walk
back to my office. Is there anything better than that first sip of coffee in
the morning? I brew a mixture of half vanilla-flavored coffee and half plain
coffee, keeping both myself and my husband happy. (Guess who likes the flavored
coffee?) That first sip tastes so good, especially when followed up with a bit
of cranberry orange scone. I use the coffee pot’s timer so when I get up the
house smells like coffee and it’s ready for me to pour.
The sky over the trees gradually lightens, flushing pale
pink to salmon. I look around my office at the many things I love: books, art
supplies, pictures, little knick knacks. The birds begin to wake up, chattering
and chirping in the trees. A pair of cardinals takes turns at the bird feeder.
Everyone else is still asleep—even the dog. I sit in my
rocking chair—the one I’ve had since my son was an infant. How many hours did
we spend here together, while I fed him, read or sang to him as he lay cradled
in my arms or sleeping on my shoulder? He’s 18 and more than six feet tall now.
It feels like I’m all alone in the world. I watch the
Spanish moss sway in the slightest of breezes. I pick up the notebook I use for
morning pages, the cardboard cover smooth beneath my fingers. I like to use
composition books for morning pages. They’re a nice, portable size and sturdy
enough to be used for months at a time. And they now come in many pretty
designs—I usually stock up at the beginning of the school year when there’s
more to choose from. Some mornings words
flow unstoppable from my pen as I perform a sort of brain dump onto the page,
lightening myself for the day ahead, working through my plans, clearing out
emotional fogs, aches and pains, happinesses. After I fill my three pages, my
hand and arm ache pleasantly and I know that at least for today I’ve written something, even if no one else ever sees
it. (My husband says when I die he’s going to read all my notebooks and
journals. I say go right ahead—I won’t care at that point!)
I used to be a night person, loving to stay up past when
others went to sleep. Now I’m too tired by nightfall, and I’d have a hard time
staying up past when my son goes to bed (I think he’s nocturnal). I still love
the beautiful, quiet hours near midnight .
They still feel magical if I ever manage to stay awake that long. Perhaps I’ll
gravitate back towards being a night person again when I no longer need to get
up so early in the morning.
Both late night and early morning share something in common:
solitude. I have a great need for solitude and quiet which I struggle hard to
meet. My husband works at home and is always around. We still have our son at
home. I’m lucky to get an hour or two alone in my home each week. I try to make
up for that by getting up before everyone else in the morning.
Pretty soon, alarm clocks will go off, the dog will need to
be walked, my day’s work will start. But for right now, I’m enjoying my coffee
and the morning quiet.
What’s your favorite time of day?
4 comments
I am so not a morning person, but I understand your need for solitude. It can be hard to find when your husband works from home. My husband is retired, so it's similar in that he's almost always around. I go into my sewing room if I need to get away. I also stay up later than he does and read before going to bed.
ReplyDeleteCheryl--Yes, you're in the same boat I am. I go into my office, but sometimes I'd just like to putter through the whole house or *gasp* watch TV or read a book without being observed. I guess I think he'll think I'm being a slacker if I relax in front of him!
ReplyDeleteI love solitude too, and usually the only way for me to get it is in those wee hours after midnight when everyone else are asleep. I am a night person, although my staying powers have been slowly diminishing over the years as I move up in age. :p
ReplyDeleteMichelle--That's the problem with being a night person! You have to handle so much during the day that by the time your favorite time of day rolls around, you're too tired to enjoy it. :)
ReplyDelete