Morning Thoughts

In these early morning hours, the air holds a special sweetness. A rare hint of promise, I think. Our minds are open to possibilities and dreams. We dare to think, create and imagine.

 But it is a sweetness that fades when the sun comes up, the day begins, and we are drawn up into the flow of the world. One must rise early and often to experience this breath of freedom.

There was a time in my life when I thought these early moments of the day were wasted. A waiting game. An act of standing in line, eager for the day to start in full force. An impatient space of quickly sipped coffee, of pacing the floor, of testing the clock every two minutes to make sure time hadn't frozen into a huge tick of heavy limbo. I used to think there was something outside my door that defined me. That leaving the circle of my home was breaking out of a suffocating shell.

Now I know it's quite the opposite.

I think that in the essence of our home there is a unique aura that feeds our souls. It's like getting a transfusion with the right type of blood. That only the familiar air of your nest, the breath of your sleep, the fabric of your leisure can prolong happiness.

You know how it is on days when you sleep through the alarm. 

You stumble to get ready. You curse. You rush around to get out the door on time. And it usually goes downhill from there. All day long you feel as though you've been deprived of something. It's a dull ache of realizing something is out of place.

I think it is because your soul failed to breathe. 

That you didn't take time to sit quietly and rest your mind. That you missed that great open window of freedom and sweetness. That short, fleeting space of time when you are alone with your thoughts and with God.

Maybe some people call it meditation. 

Whatever you want to call it, it is as necessary as oxygen. Without it, our lives are smothered by a monotony of work days. Of mounting responsibilities and complex relationships. Of worries and weariness and doubt.

Take time to indulge in your sweet mornings. Fill your soul up with good thoughts. Realize that your true blessings are within you - and when you slow down enough to see them, your life will flourish.

Breathe. Give thanks. Smile.