Good Morning

It's a soft grey day: The kind of morning when the clouds hang so low in the sky that they wrap the hilltops in gauze.  The kind of day when the rain is too fine to really be called rain (more mist than raindrops) but falls so steadily that it will soak you to the skin by the time you've walked around the block.  The kind of day when sound is muffled by the weather, when traffic is diminished because folks choose to stay at home, when small birds shelter in the hedges to stay dry.

It's my first day back at work after a week-long break. 

I was later than usual leaving the house this morning so, instead of taking the back roads to work as I usually do, I drove along the highway. 

Right beside the highway there is a small lake.  I've never passed that lake, ever, without wanting to slow and admire the view. Today was no exception.  I was thankful that my route allowed me a few minutes to pause.

Mornings usually find the lake mirror calm, but today the surface of the lake was pocked by raindrops and rippled by the activity of a large gathering of swans.  They were there in their hundreds, spread across the entire surface of the lake, floating majestically as only swans can do.  Occasionally, one would take flight, sweeping across the surface of the lake, it's wing-tips almost touching the surface of the water.  

What a wonderful gift with which to start the day!

The quiet of the morning, the monochrome, mist-shrouded landscape, the silent beauty of the swans exactly suit my mood exactly.  I love the start of the new year for its predictability and calm.  I can close the door on the bustle and stress of the holiday season and find comfort and reassurance in returning to routine.  I can enjoy a quiet evening at home, curled up with a cup of tea and a book without listing in my mind all the things I should be doing instead.

So this morning I'm sitting in my office, sipping a coffee, relishing the view, and feeling grateful that my work allows me time to talk with my friends here on line.  I'm grateful for quiet and for conversation, for work and for rest, for my health, my family, my friends, my home.  So many good things, every single day. 

I hope that your year and your day are off to a good start and that they bring you all you wish from them.  Have a joyful day.