Simple Pleasures

This morning was one of the most beautiful mornings I have had in what seems like forever. I have managed to simplify my life in the last few months, and the simplest of events bring me great joy. Waking up naturally, without an alarm clock, dogs and puppies whining for me to wake up, the ringing of the phone, children needing my services....these are my typical wake up calls. Not this morning. The puppies let me sleep until 9am! The phone didn't ring until after 10am! None of my children needed anything desperately enough to wake me up! I was ecstatic to awaken of my own free will and nature, calmly and with peace in my heart. I consider this to be a minor miracle of the most fabulous sort.

Call me silly, but I really mean this. I soak the moments up like a parched sponge and began the morning ritual of taking three dogs out to potty, one at a time, without any chaos at all. It was like they were all reading the same script...very surreal. The ritual continued with the filling of food dishes, and then they all proceeded to eat with manners worthy of queens...again, surreal. If anyone knows anything of puppies, well, imagine what breakfast time is normally like...

While they ate their food, I began to boil water for my tea. This is a new part of my morning routine that has brought a small pleasure into my life. I used to have the coffee maker pre-programmed the night before and a pot of brew waiting for my groggy attack first thing in the morning. I drank coffee like a 15 yr old boy eating food and it wasn't pretty. A few months ago, I decided to bring tea into my life and slow down on the coffee. It has proven to be a magical experience for me. The process of filling the tea kettle, boiling the water on the stove, preparing the tea bag, enjoying the aroma of steeping tea and preparing it for consumption with a little lemon and honey.....this simple process has taught me how to enjoy my first moments of the day. Before, I was a stumbling monkey groping for the pot, slurping and sucking down the bitter bitch's brew. But now, I am actually waking up before the tea washes past my taste buds. I am seeing the sun hitting the trees with pleasure, and the steam from my cup is invigorating rather than something to be bypassed to get to the caffeine. This is a simple pleasure.

Now don't get me wrong, I love coffee. Love coffee. I just drank too much of it for the effect and without pleasure for many years now. The ritual of tea has brought a simple joy to the my mornings and has brought a renewed way of seeing the day before me. My days are filled with promise rather than dread and yes, tea, helped me to see that. Well, what else would one expect from a random shiny chicken?