My Morning Place

"The morning steals upon the night, melting the darkness." - William Shakespeare

I used to be a night owl. Or, so I thought…

There is a magic I missed for years, in not getting up early enough to experience it. Not just the magic of the early morning itself, but the ways in which I have learned to use it, soak it in.

In my 30’s I learned to get up very early, whether for training runs, taking care of little ones, or to pray and have quiet time before said little ones were up needing Mama.

Sometimes it was a combination. There was a season when my oldest son would naturally wake up very early too, so I would settle him on the couch with some juice and a cartoon, then escape into my prayer room just a few feet away from him and try to block out the sounds of superheroes while I cried out to God before the busyness of the day hit like a train.

Now in my late 40’s, I still get up early, still run, still pray, but my “little ones” are teenagers and fairly nocturnal. I have some new reasons to get up. Some practical, some personal, all beautiful.

I often find myself easing into house chores, getting a head start on things like laundry, quiet cleaning tasks or baking. I may read for a while, journal, even work on a book I’m writing or a blog post like this one. There’s nothing like the feeling of putting in hours of work before anyone else is even awake!

When its close to sunrise, or if the sun has just come up, I like to drink some water and then run/workout for a while, usually on a fasted stomach. (A very hearty homemade breakfast or brunch will happen later) Then I transition to the good stuff. Coffee. A generous mug of home-brewed espresso roast with some organic heavy cream. That first cup will get carried for a couple of blocks until I reach a certain familiar spot where I will say little, think much, listen to music and sip that delicious coffee very slowly, taking in the full beauty of the morning.

I call it my morning place. Just a simple, dirt road, bordering a field of cows, surrounded by trees, singing birds and crackles of sunlight. The occasional turtle will mosy through fallen leaves. God meets me there, too. Sometimes we talk to each other. Sometimes we just sit together. It is therapy, clarity, sanity…peace.

I sit on an old, worn camping stool that used to be my father’s, and think of how much he always loved nature when I was growing up.

How I am becoming more and more like him.

How this girl who wanted to live in New York City would rather live on a farm now.

Oh, the magic of a morning place!

Do you have a special spot you like to escape to before the world demands your attention? If so, share about it in the comments. If not, I highly recommend it.

Here’s to all the early birds!