Monday, August 20, 2012

Morning has Broken

One winter morning last year, I was running late taking my daughter to Kindergarten.  I was praying I would make carpool as I desperately did not want to walk her into the school office wearing pajamas with no bra, and gold heels.  Yes, stilettos actually... they were by the door, and yes that might have something to do with why we were running late...

anyway...

My son got sick in the middle of the night and I was going to have to call the preschool and then the doctor and reschedule my dentist appointment for the 3rd time.

As I zipped out of our neighborhood, my daughter explained in much detail how if I had just let her wear her aquasocks to school then we wouldn't be so late. When it dawned on me that I also forgot her lunch, I decided to drown everything out with the radio.

Pouring through the speakers came 'Morning has Broken,' by Cat Stevens and unexpected tears blurred my vision as I heard the lyric 'has broken' to mean 'has been destroyed.'  With one small twist of a word, every following lyric changed- from hopeful to hopeless and from glorified to dejected.

How quickly and easily one small shift can change an entire perspective. What had once been one of my favorite songs that lifted my spirit,  had now become the anthem for my depression.  The promise of a fresh start each morning transformed into the pain of another repetitive day.

"Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird."  Praise and joy because of the constant world of love and wonder we have been given; turned to, no point in trying, things will never change.

I just made carpool that morning and proceeded to pull off to the side of the road a couple blocks away to catch my breath. I could've cried and dwelled and headed straight into sorry-for-myself-ville. And maybe I would've if I hadn't gotten a text from my husband, "Jay threw up, not cleaning it, I'm in my suit. please hurry."

Sigh. Maybe morning had broken... but I didn't have the choice of getting a new one.  So I turned on madonna, stopped for a coffee and went on with the day.

Life is how you perceive it and what you choose to do with those perceptions.  I used to keep a poem in my day planner through high school and college to remind me of that. Somewhere along the way I lost it but after this particular winter morning, I found it again:


This is the beginning of a new day. 
God has given me this day to use as I will.
I can waste it or use if for good
and grow in its light.
What I do today is important, because
I'm exchanging  a day of my life for it.
When tomorrow comes,
this day will be gone forever,
I hope I shall not regret
the price I paid for it.
Author unknown




If you ever find yourself in a rut or dreading the morning I hope this may help you too.

Meanwhile, I hope you always anticipate sunrise, spring and every new beginning with hope and elation!

thanks for reading,



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