Week 18 - Morning

Morning is Week 18th's theme and I must say, has rarely been a friend of mine.  I was always a night person.  I enjoy staying up late, even as a child.  My mother said she would fall asleep with me in the big white rocker, and at 11:00 p.m. when my dada came home, I would get up and welcome him home from work.  I enjoy the night for many reasons.  One is because it seemed quieter than day light hours.  I lived on a busy street and cars where always going and coming all hours of the daylight.  At night, it was quieter because less traffic and I  seemed to think better  My head clearer and calmer at night.  I have only learned to be a morning person because I stopped fighting the need to stay up.  And someone is paying me to be up early.

As an elementary school principal, I feel the need to be at school before everyone.  When I'm at work before everyone, I feel I can collect my thoughts.  I can prepare mentally for what might be thrown at me.  I can watch and feel the school come alive with the voices and energy of the staff, students and their parents.  So, I'm up between 5:00 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. and push myself out of the house and on to work.  I have trained myself to do this I know, because when I am on Winter or Summer break, I slowly slip into going to bed and waking up a little bit later everyday.   And toward the end of the break I have to re-train myself to to reverse that process.

Morning for me is when I wake up.  Sometimes that is before the sun or after the sun comes up.   But every morning, with few exceptions, I read scriptures or something uplifingly spiritual.  This too, helps me prepare for my day and all that may be thrown at me no matter if I am going to work or not.

The ultimate morning to me is sunrise.  I have seen and photographed many a sunset.  I do want to and have plans to shoot a sunrise.  So look for that one.  That photograph will be the reason I will get up in the dark, but I will also do my reading.