Morning

There’s nothing like a quiet morning. It is my favorite time of day. The morning is a cool, calm time. In the heat of summer, the morning is often the only chance to enjoy any semblance of a refreshing breeze. It’s also the only time of the workday in which I feel like myself- a homemaker unencumbered by the stress of the outside job (at night when I come home, I’m a crumpled, withered shambles). I like to rise early to prepare myself for the day, brew tea and coffee, then make a simple breakfast. On workdays, it’s oatmeal with spices and maple syrup, maybe a banana. On weekends, we may have toast with butter and jam along with sausage and eggs, or yogurt with granola. Either way, it’s unrushed and easy.

The simple rituals of morning bring so much joy: opening windows to find a gentle, fresh breeze, listening to the kettle heating the water, grinding my husband’s coffee, and stirring honey into my tea. All enjoyed and amplified in silence. Nothing is hurried, not if we get up on time. Matthew Kelly, in his book Rediscover Catholicism, gives an excellent explanation of the Catholic Christian life as it is meant to be lived, and one of the main tenets is discipline. Discipline is what enables us to truly enjoy our lives in a fully human, fully present and liberating way. He says it refines us, and frees us to be at our best, and I couldn’t agree more. I know what it is to not live by discipline, no structure, nothing to hold myself against. So I strive to get up the same time each day, regardless of what day it is. That way, I can have a simply productive, satisfying morning in which there are pauses enough to praise God for the morning, give full attention to my husband, and be ready to face whatever it is God wants me to encounter.