Memories.  Latent within them is the power to reawaken feelings of joy or feelings of great sadness. Memories are not sterile.  They are linked to us in inextricable ways.  They, at times, have a life of their own.  Sometimes accurate and sometimes skewed by our desires or traumas or just our limited humanness.

My trip down Memory Lane began early today as I enjoyed what is my favorite part of each day. There is something about rising early while the sun is just peeping up over the horizon that I love.  I feel the potential of the day.  Birds are beginning to sing.  The world is awakening with hope that the day will bring love and beauty and kindness. 

Being raised on a farm, early rising was part of my existence.  My dad would walk down the hall toward my bedroom and call out, “Let’s go get ‘em.”  He’d rub his hands together as if to say, “It’s going to be a good day.”  His voice spoke excitement and his love of teasing and aggravating me.  Now “Let’s go get ‘em” usually meant it was time to head to the chicken house to gather eggs (the commercial kind of chicken house with thousands of chickens). I hated that work with a passion.  It was nasty, smelly, and completely unpleasant. Many times I vowed I’d never, ever have chicken houses when I grew up – a vow which I’ve kept and one which helped inspire me to go to college!   My dad would then give me a little kind shake while I lay under my covers and say, “Rise and shine.” Rising early was non-optional on the farm.  The animals rose early and so must we. So I guess the early rising became a part of my inner code.  Read more...