It’s very rare that I spontaneously wake up before 9 am. My phone alarm, with it’s annoying little singsong melody, usually wakes me up. It’s a fact, however, that any time before 7 I’m probably not my best self. I long ago accepted my night owl tendencies, and reconciled myself to missing the “worm” so to speak. It’s just how I’m wired.
And yet, at 4:37 am this morning, my eyes popped open. Granted one of the dogs was making some noise, but usually I just roll over and rejoin the snooze already in progress.
Not today.
It took a good 20 minutes of laying there awake before I succumbed to the siren call of Facebook. I was glad I did, when I realized today marks the Summer Solstice. The longest day, the shortest night, with the actual solstice occurring just before 5 pm EDT. Was it solstice energy that roused me at such an unusual hour? Hard to say. But I decided to listen to my body and get up.
Vigorously shaking my protein shake in it’s plastic blender bottle, I ventured outside. Sitting down in one of the Adirondack chairs on the patio, I totally ignored the dampness from the dew. Trills and tweets filled the air, the owners of the bird voices invisible in the branches of the trees.
As the day teasingly pushed the night away, the bird feeder became increasingly popular. It amuses me when the cardinals edge out the robins, who circle back around the house and reclaim their spot at the feeder. One tiny bird that I haven’t identified yet is obsessed with the meal cake on the end of the feeder. He’s scared of everyone and escapes to the nearest tree for comfort before venturing back.
I live for peaceful nature moments like this. Do you see the cycle? The order? The beauty of it all? It reminds me that this “night” 2020 has represented so far, it will end too.
Disasters play out. Change is happening. Through hard work, activism, and community, we will come out stronger and better. How many of us heard from coaches and parents growing up: “There’s no growth in the comfort zone; there’s no comfort in the growth zone.” I really believe that our current cycle is growth. I know we are up to the challenge, both personally and collectively as humanity.
Our night will ease, our days lengthen. The cycle of nature will carry on. Trust the process.
I am not a licensed therapist or mental health professional. If you are suffering and need treatment please seek the help of a professional. This post may contain affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
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