“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” – Marcus Aurelius
We spent this last weekend at a cabin in the woods by a bay. It was a really cool log cabin owned by some friends for decades so it was filled with relics and treasures. A long pine dining table with log benches. Cocktail swords made out of metal. Wooden storage boxes filled with candles and flashlights. Railings made of rough hewn logs. An enormous stone fireplace.
But it was true cabin. A great main room with two loft spaces for sleeping. In one loft, my brother and sister-in-law had a bed. In the other loft, there were two beds where my kids and I slept. Cooper the dog didn’t like the steep wood stairs so he slept downstairs in the great room.
Point being, it was five people and one dog in one room. A pretty large and very cool room, but none of the usual walls we are accustomed to in our homes. So I was able to witness awakening in a different way.
Cooper woke up first and I could hear the click-click of his nails on the wood floor. Once I got him fed and settled, I sat in a chair by the window. And then over the next hour, one-by-one each person stretched from sleep and came awake.
The snoring stopped, the breathing got lighter, the bodies shifted a bit side-to-side before presumably (I didn’t witness this particular moment), the eyes came open. There was an incredible freshness to the start of the day.
Outside the light started to displace the dark. The birds started chirping and whirring about. The smooth water reflected the rising light. A fog settled heavily over the land across from the cabin and frost covered trees poked out from the top.
What a joy and honor it is to awaken and experience the newness of a day.
(photos are mine – featured photo is of the cabin and the second photo is of my view as the sun came up)
You can find me on Instagram @wynneleon and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynneleon/
I co-host a storytelling podcast featuring authors and artists with the amazing Vicki Atkinson. To tune in, search for Sharing the Heart of the Matter on Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music or Pocketcasts (and subscribe) or click here. Or the YouTube channel features videos of our interviews. Please subscribe!
My other projects include work as a CEO (Chief Encouragement Officer), speaking about creativity and AI through the Chicago Writer’s Association, and my book about my journey to find what fueled my dad’s indelible spark and twinkle can be found on Amazon: Finding My Father’s Faith.
Surprised By Joy 