Kristina Summers
There is a lot to be said for getting up with the sun. The birds are out, depending on what time of year the Morning Glorys are in full bloom or the Redbud trees are pushing forth little rose colored buds. And that is just spring and summer!
While I am by nature a morning person, I have deviated from this routine many times in my life, mainly for jobs (bartending) illness, pregnancy; being a teenager…you get the drift. But no matter what I always seem to come back to the call of the crickets and the first rays of sunshine.
Lately this habit has come to mean a great deal more than I ever thought possible. After some recent health issues left me to ponder on my own mortality, I really dug into the morning ritual with a new vengeance. Quite simply, to wake up, to be; is a wonderful gift and one I don’t intend to squander anymore.
I have always had a spiritual connection with nature. I love to be outside, I thrive when I can be barefoot and free to listen to the deer quietly picking through our woods, the squirrels clawing the bark for bugs, the spider examining her web or to just watch as the ants rebuild yet another pile in their endless task to create a kingdom for their queen.
Conservation of the Earth and her gifts is more than just a hobby or even a job for me. It is a way of life, one I share with not only my own children, but with as many as will listen. I often tell people that I want to leave the world a better place than I found it. As a realist, I don’t know that that is possible. But I do know that I can leave it better for me having been here, reaching out and making a difference where I can.
My morning walks are more than exercise or a way to wake up. They are a way for me to greet each day with gratitude, to give thanks that I am enjoying one more day.
