Morning

My home routine is pretty settled— my little refreshment  routines, followed by writing—these posts, e-mails, whatever’s on my mind, perhaps some piano and such until lunchtime. After lunch is when I finally step out the door, that moment when I feel the welcome contrast between indoors and outdoors. Off for an afternoon walking or biking or doing errands. It works. Makes sense for my energies at different times of day.

 

But sometimes I wonder if I should reverse it. Get out in the early morning first. Like Henry Thoreau or Mary Oliver or Zen monks (well, not quite that early!). Today, I had the good sense to do just that. Not as early as the folks above, but still at 9:00 am, after zazen/breakfast, King’s Crown game with Malik,  the air was charged with that early morning freshness alive with promise. 

 

“Love of the morning is a measure of health,” said Thoreau and I know what he means. Morning is the song of the earth’s daily renewal, carried by the birds and breezes and felt in the scent of the air. When we march into the day or drive on the crowded freeway to begin chipping away at the hours, we carry the burden of our driven selves and miss the moment. Just getting out into the morning air, walking, biking or sitting on the porch, gives us the possibility of awakening with the day, aligning ourselves with the earth’s natural rhythm and letting it carry us slowly out of the dim light and shadows into the full brightness of the day. Morning is the Springtime of the day, all birth and restoration and revitalization. Last night’s sins and errors are washed away in sleep and new promise begins with the dawn. 

Of course, work schedules don’t honor these possibilities and most of us are already rushing before the day barely begins. If we make the mistake of checking the news, our hope for new beginnings is already trampled underfoot. Some have the option of walking or biking to work and believe me, that makes a difference. And of course, many now work at home, hopefully with the good sense to at least stroll around the block before settling in on Zoom. No matter what you’re situation, hey, there’s always the weekend.

 

Hail to morning!