Morning

I love mornings. It’s the time I get to myself, in the quiet, without a full day’s worth of events racing through my mind. A blank slate. A time to think about what lies ahead, what I want to accomplish. A time to center myself, and to prepare for the day mentally.

I take care of lunches and lay out outfits at night so that when morning comes and I roll out of bed, I can sit quietly with my coffee and my thoughts.

Each time I get up for another cup of coffee, I can check on the kids who inevitably are in my bed, arms slung around each other, holding on in moments too sweet to capture in words or photo. I smile. I count my blessings. I ask for just a few more minutes of quiet and settle back down in my favorite chair and watch the world around me become lighter as the sun rises.

This time of year, I sit surrounded by white Christmas lights – strung across the french door, and gracing the pergola outside. I always say I love the white lights so much I want them to stay up all year. This year maybe I’ll actually do that. They are peaceful and so much better than a harsh overhead light at 6 a.m.

Slowly, I sneak through my bedroom and begin to get ready for the day. I love the times that I am fully dressed and they are still asleep. I climb into bed and snuggle with them. Wake them up in fits of giggles and welcome their headlock hugs.

Their day begins. Our day together begins.