Day 2 SOL 16: The Quiet of Morning

The words crept in before the sun rose in the morning sky.  The thinking started to spin and swirl though I tried to push it away.  Blackness surrounded me and the window revealed not a sign of light.  I turned over trying to get back to sleep, but it didn't work.  I couldn't stop the day as my to-do list started to formulate in my head.  Finally, I reached to touch my screen for the time; it was 4:30 in the morning.

There was a day I wouldn't have seen 4:30.  There was a day when my alarm would go off and I would hit the snooze button over and over again.  There was a day when getting out of bed took every ounce of energy I had.  My husband would always remind, "The easiest way is to just get up and not think about being tired."  It used to be there was nothing that would make me get up before the clock displayed 6 a.m. or later, but lately I'd consider that sleeping in.

Looking back, I think it probably started when the kids were little.  During those years it seemed the best way to get a bit of time to read, write, or catch up was to get up while everyone in the house still slept.  It was in this time that I learned to appreciate a hot cup of coffee, the silence of morning, and the song of the early bird.  Only in these early hours could I watch night and morning dance together before going their separate ways.  

Sometimes I'm a bit jealous of my friends who can make it past the late news.  I envy those who do their best work in the late hours of the day.  It seems they accomplish much in the time I am fighting to stay awake.  They get to enjoy late night television, the glitter of stars, and books well into the night.  They can go to parties and stay out well past the time when Cinderella's chariot turns back into a pumpkin.

When my late night friends are just reaching their prime, I'm fighting to stay awake.  When the sun descends along the horizon, I'm finding myself ready to call it a night.  Where are the words that swirled at 4:30 in the morning?  The blackness has returned.  I'm ready to call it a night.  I'll be waiting for morning.

For the month of March I will be participating in the March Slice of Life Challenge hosted at Two Writing Teachers.  It will be a busy month of writing, commenting, and learning with this community.  Stop by today's link up to join the conversation or find some great reading.

Comments

  1. I'm right there with you! Although I'm starting to be a night owl and an early riser. I don't know if that's a good combination. :)

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  2. I'm right there with you! Although I'm starting to be a night owl and an early riser. I don't know if that's a good combination. :)

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  3. There is so much beautiful writing in the slice that I don't even know where to start commenting! I am not a morning person. I like it when everyone is asleep at night and I have the quietness to myself. It doesn't happen often enough with the age of my children. I will just say good morning since that is probably when you will be seeing this!

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  4. Thie rhythms in your words read almost like a lullaby, Cathy. i also enjoy the early morning quiet and feel more productive in the am. Looking forward to reading more. Good night.

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  5. I, too, love the quiet of morning. <3

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  6. Beautiful piece. I know what you mean - sometimes it is the best solitude of the day. At the same time it is a curse - inability to sleep past 7:00 - even on a snow day.

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  7. Beautiful piece. I know what you mean - sometimes it is the best solitude of the day. At the same time it is a curse - inability to sleep past 7:00 - even on a snow day.

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  8. It is so true that we all have different inner clocks. As I just begin to respond and comment on other's slices, I realize it just turned 10:30 AM. I am going to try to get up early for a few days this month and see if the words flow better then. Keep you posted on how that goes. ;)

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  9. I wish I was that early riser (so does my husband ...), but I'm not. I hit that snooze over and over dragging myself across my bedroom to my dresser. Then drag myself back to bed and cover up for another 9 more minutes without even opening my eyes. So here I sit late into the night ... it's quiet at my house. Sigh.

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  10. Yup...right there with you. But I am an insomniac...so I'm up all hours, too. Sigh.

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  11. Yup...right there with you. But I am an insomniac...so I'm up all hours, too. Sigh.

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  12. I used to be a morning person and seem to have lost that habit as well. Love your language here...so beautiful.

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  13. Beautiful writing. I, too, am a morning person and appreciate that time when I get to watch "night and morning dance together before going their separate ways." It is a glorious way to kick off each day. Thanks for sharing this beautiful piece.

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  14. So interesting when we develop such different rhythms in adulthood. I love early mornings and also can't stay awake!

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  15. My kids love me when I travel to the east coast. It's the only time that I'm a night person and can sleep past six am. I'm still trying to figure out my rhythms in retirement, but staying up too late does not make me ready for the early calls I get for substituting. However, my sleep gets totally messed up in March when I comment and slice into the night. About the only thing that keeps me up past 10.

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  16. I can soooo relate to this! I am a morning glory. I love the early, even early early hours, but the late ones, not so much. The big joke at school is whether I want them to tell me the end of Friday night Dateline, because I always fall asleep mid show! And I am a total morning writer. I hate the stuff I write at night.

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  17. Beautiful description! I love the line that has morning dance with nice. Gorgeous. I am a morning Lark too. I love the quiet morning time.

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  18. I love your story! Morning is a very special time. I know it is your most creative time.

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