The Best Part of Waking Up?

And no, this isn’t a reference to coffee commercials. It’s a question I’ve been pondering for a few days now and I’ve been reflecting on what ‘waking up’ has meant to me through the years. And it’s meant very different things at different stages in my life.

I’ll admit I don’t remember giving it much thought until now, and in looking back, I don’t really remember having any opinions but when I was in school, if it was a weekday, I was very much not enthused. In elementary school, if it was a Saturday, I couldn’t wait to get up to watch my favorite cartoons. Beyond that, it usually meant sleeping in and then, because I was shy and a bit nerdy, reading a good book. Or a few.

There are other memories of times when I couldn’t wait to jump out of bed. The mornings we’d leave for a vacation – and my dad would make a run to the bakery because the first day of vacation meant a breakfast of donuts and rolls while driving to one lake or another.

Christmas mornings were also some of the best times. When I was growing up, my siblings and I would be up before sunrise to see what Santa brought. One year, we all slept on the floor in one room – and tied strings to our feet so if anyone tried to sneak downstairs before the rest of us, we’d all know.

Now my kids… They’re another story entirely. I would wake up long before they did, excited to see their reactions to the gifts I’d so lovingly shopped for and wrapped. And I knew they were excited about the prospect of gifts too. They just didn’t want to wake up early to get them. I’d walk around the house like I’d strapped bricks on my feet and bang cupboard doors. Eventually, my efforts would wake them and they’d stumble out to the living room – but I was still more excited than they were.

And that’s what life has been like as an adult. Sometimes, something happens and I can hardly wait to jump out of bed. Mostly though, it’s just something I have to do.

The past three years though, is making me rethink my attitude. Which isn’t bad, mind you, it’s just … kind of … blah.

But Aria is my polar opposite. Every day is an adventure. She wakes up with a sleepy smile most mornings, gives me a big hug, a, ‘G’mornin’ Gramma,’ and then she hits the floor running. Daylight is burning and she’s not wasting a minute of it.

I dread the day when she decides sleeping in is preferable to jumping out of bed.

That is the attitude I want again. The excitement. That energy! The determination to find the best in everything I do, even if it’s the adult equivalent of stacking a pile of blocks twenty times, knocking them over, and then giggling like it was the first time.

Image by kaboompics on Pixabay

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2 Responses to The Best Part of Waking Up?

  1. karenmcfarland says:

    I so relate to your post today. As we get older, with all the many responsibilities we have, it is all we can do to crawl out of bed in the morning. And when did sleeping become such a challenge? So we’re all walking around like zombies. lol. But having a beautiful grandchild like Aria gives us the motivation to get our day started. Live is good!! 🙂

    • Kristy K. James says:

      Hey, Karen! Sorry it’s taken so long to respond. All I can do is offer yet another excuse. I think the one that comes closest to what really happens is I just lose track of time. 🙂

      Anyway, you are so right! Some days, I really don’t want to get out of bed at all because I slept so bad the night before. But I really love the sleepy hugs and “G’mownin’, Gwamma’s,” so it’s totally worth it. Life is definitely good! 🙂

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