My morning routine – when my boys, who are on the spectrum, have resumed a nighttime bedtime – starts with green tea and ODB (Our Daily Bread).
I get excited about mornings. I love that the day is so fresh and new. I like the thought of being ahead of my day because I KNOW it’s going to run away from me. While I’m still on top of it, I feel the need to get as much done before it defeats me.
That sounds so negative. Do I explain myself? I don’t really feel like it, so not this time, but I think you already have an idea what I mean.
In any case, I’m the type to get up right away, raring to go. After I do my bathroom stop and attend to my feline bosses, I really have to stop myself from jumping into writing or gardening or baking or crafting… First things first. I need to condition two things: my stomach and my mind.
The green tea pacifies my tummy, which is a sensitive little (ha!) sourpuss. I have to warm it up before I can introduce anything else into it. In the morning, I usually soothe the cranky beast with green tea, ginger tea, or turmeric tea.
While I sip my tea, I read my devotional and try to recalibrate my raincloud personality. Gratitude and mindfulness exercises really help. Turning my focus toward God shifts my perspective, allowing positivity; otherwise, I end up feeling victimized by my circumstances, which, in reality are far from dire or bleak. I guess you can say I’m really a victim of my own thoughts and my natural propensity toward doom and gloom.
I allow myself these soft and kind moments at the beginning of the day to set the tone for the rest of it. I’ll probably lose my cool at the hair-raising things my youngest attempts (and often accomplishes), moan and groan about the challenges (I’m obviously a kvetch), gnash my teeth at the million annoyances, and hurt at the pain only my nearest and dearest can inflict. Still, if I get my head screwed on right at the start of the day, rebukes and reminders are never far away.
Anyway, after tea and devotion, I write up a list of things to do and get started stat.
(It took me quite a while to get back in the swing of things, but I’m back to blogging. Hopefully, I can do it consistently.)
This Small Life 