I’ve always been a natural early riser. Even as a child, I would put myself to bed at sunset and rise at dawn. My parents tried to make this a feature rather than a bug by teaching me to turn on the coffee maker. That didn’t really work out, as the coffee would be all wrong or burned by the time they roused. Perhaps that’s why I never learned to like coffee?
I must also admit there are times when I wish that I could sleep later. My mother put a sign in my room during high school admonishing me for staying out too late (I found a similar one above). Yes, there are times when I stay up too late and have too much fun when the curse of being an early riser is painful!
The early morning remains my favorite time of day and I’ve come to appreciate this time more as I age. The quiet of dawn, whether sitting near the hearth or (preferably) out in the field, is a time for reflection and anticipation of the future. It feels like you’re getting ahead of the race.
These quiet moments are hard to steal in our constantly connected world. Whether you’re a night owl or an early bird, I encourage you to find a moment of repose and be grateful for the quiet of that moment.
And if you’re lucky, you’ll then hear the pitter patter of your eldest daughter’s little feet coming to join you as she too has been struck as an early riser…