Daybreak's coming earlier and earlier each morning as spring advances. I love the dawn and the early mornings. When I was young I had to drag myself out of bed. Now I relish that quiet hour or two before the workaday world begins to stir. There's something special about it, magical even. It's a good time to meditate, and rinse the mind, before its relentless daily stream of thoughts starts to flow.
Thoreau liked the mornings, too, and in this piece he considers the dawn, but ends up contemplating something wider...
Morning is when I am awake and there is a dawn in me... We must learn to reawaken and keep ourselves awake, not by mechanical aids, but by an infinite expectation of the dawn, which does not forsake us in our soundest sleep. I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by conscious endeavor. It is something to be able to paint a particular picture, or to carve a statue, and so to make a few objects beautiful; but it is far more glorious to carve and paint the very atmosphere and medium through which we look ...To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts.
THOREAU Walden
6 comments:
I've become a pre-dawn riser, too…and like you, that's quite the change from my younger days. I'm not quite sure how I would characterize my mornings—I don't think deeply enough to call it meditation, and I'm not sure I "rinse" my mind, either. I just sip my coffee or tea, watch the sky and the arrival of the light, and allow the day to sort of flow over and into me.
The earlier I go to bed and the earlier I wake up, the better I feel. It is peaceful in the early morning.
I like the idea of an infinite expectation of the dawn.
A heavy damp grey dawn here but there is birdsong coming through the open window affecting the quality of my day. Have a good day yourself... Tramp
That is rinsing the mind, Grizzled!
Yes, am, I love my sleep too - and it's a real treat to go to bed early.
Here it's a lovely, sunny spring morning. Missed the dawn though. Have a good day, Tramp.
It's funny, reading these posts and realizing we are all probably of similar ages...and how differently we approach morning and bedtime as opposed to in our youth. Youth just aches to stay up late, go out late, stay up all night and the perhaps greet the dawn from the other end!! Karin
I do as Grizzled does - sip my coffee and watch the sun slowly appear. It is a beautiful time of day.
:) This is one of many Thoreau quotes I have in my notebook.
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