Saturday Morning

One of my favorite times of the week is Saturday mornings. Granted, most Saturdays, I end up sleeping until noon, making up for the sleep I missed the rest of the week. But the best Saturdays are the ones that I wake up early enough to say morning prayers, fix myself some coffee, and go sit on the front porch to enjoy the freshest part of the day. Of course, fixing breakfast for my wife and myself fits into that, as well, but that depends on when she wakes up.

I think a lot of what I love about Saturday mornings really just applies to mornings in general. Everything about the morning seems different, somehow. The light seems newer (even if you wake up after sunrise). More so than that, the air smells fresher. After a hot shower and a couple cups of coffee, I don’t think there is a better way to wake yourself up than to go outside and take a good deep breath of morning air.

It seems there’s a psychological boost you get from being up in the morning, especially after having a good night’s sleep. At least for myself, I’ve noticed that I feel more energetic, happier, and more productive when I get up early. I think I actually feel less stressed in general.

Of course, this doesn’t seem to apply when I have to wake up early. If I’m up early because I have to work, for example, then I don’t feel like I get that boost. I think a big part of that, though, is that I feel rushed. Even if I wake up plenty early, it’s still in the back of my mind that I have to be ready to go by a certain time.

I think that’s why I enjoy Saturday mornings more than any other; I don’t usually have anywhere to be. I can wake up at my own pace. I can go sit on my front porch and enjoy drinking my coffee. I can take my time saying morning prayers. I can write on my blog (if I can think of anything to write about). I can listen to the birds sing, neighbors mowing their grass, and dogs barking. I can watch birds fly around in the trees nearby. And if I don’t get up from the porch swing until noon, that’s okay.

Well, except for this particular Saturday morning. It rained yesterday, so it’s nice and cool out, despite being a sunny, mid-July day, and my wife thinks it would be a great time to go for a walk. I agree.