A day's prologue...

I love hanging out in the morning.

And I don’t mean getting up and getting dressed and meeting a girl-thats-a-friend-but-maybe-im-interested-in for coffee. I mean groggy, smelly, bed-hair, pajamas hanging out. When the day is just beginning and you and friends just sit around, nod at one another, and wait to peel the layers of sleep off your brain.

There is a feeling of nakedness or vulnerability when one awakes. No one is dressed up, everyone is at their most disheveled. And yet, no one cares. There is just something about the morning that brings calm agreement among friends.

It only happens on rare occasions: a sleepover, a group trip, if all the roommates happen to be home in the morning.

The latter happened today.

This week I’m working an odd 12:30-9pm shift at work, which is somewhat unfortunate, but it affords me that precious morning laziness that I have missed since college. I stumbled down the stairs and made my way haphazardly to the kitchen, pushing the wandering coffee table out of the way and throwing some newspapers on the couch.

As the sunlight snuck in through the window, Robert was his chirpy self already dressed for the day in smooth plaid and pants. He was making coffee and doing dishes. I was thankful for his diligence and productivity at 9am.

I like to ease into my day (except when I go to work) as if I am wading into a cool lake, when you suck in your stomach to brace against the water.

Then Bradley came in, much like a bear emerging from a winter’s hibernation. I was thankful for this too, because it made me feel more comfortable for being a slow mover.

We drank coffee and I made cheese eggs and for twenty minutes we just sat and breathed in the day.

And I realized how thankful I am for so many different people in my life: people that drive me. people that comfort. people that are different. people that are the same. people that challenge. people that calm. people that laugh. people that hug. people that dance. people that color. people that cry. people that make me cry. people that make my stomach jump. people that make my head hurt. people that confound. people that make perfect sense.

I am grateful for all the puzzle pieces that come together to make up my life.

You are loved.