The Joy of Starting the Day Outside

 

The air is cool, almost chilly, but the coffee in my hand is hot, and taking a swallow warms me up slightly.  The sky is blue with only a few puffs of clouds above.  It is much different than yesterday when rain showers pelted the trees off and on all day.  The birds seem pleased with the change in weather.  A male and a female cardinal hop on the ground around the trunk of a pine tree, one following the other as they search for breakfast.  I look up at the cell phone tower where an osprey nest sits high above a small farm pond, but I see no movement.  Bird song fills the air. 

Why don’t I start every day like this?  Even if it is only five minutes before leaving for work, and even if it is cold or raining, the joy of starting the day outside would carry with me the entire day.  When my work keeps me inside under artificial lights, the sunshine would remain in my soul.  When the hum of electricity, or the shouts of children fill my ears, the bird song would remain underneath it all.  When the unnatural chill of air conditioning blows on my skin, the fresh air that danced over my face would continue to cheer my spirit.

Yesterday between rain showers I walked a circle around the large farmyard.  I could see the fallen brown stalks of last year’s corn.  Spider webs glistened in the brief sunshine.  Down the paved road I found an old grassy driveway, and I walked beside clumps of wildflowers and tall grasses.  The smell of honeysuckle filled the air, and I stopped to pull off the stamen and drink the nectar.  My dad tells me the honeysuckle isn’t native to the area, but it is native to my childhood memories.

I make a vow.  From now on, I will step outside at least for five minutes every day before leaving for work.  I will greet the morning and the birds before driving in my cocooned car to my indoor workspace, or before starting the errands of the day.  This will keep me connected to nature, and to peaceful feelings, and to childhood.  Mostly it will start the day with joy.  Hopefully this joy will follow me, clinging to my skin like the smell of the honeysuckle and the song of the robins and cardinals. 

Happy start of the day to everyone!