In the routines of the day, there is a sweet spot. It’s different for everyone and different on different days.
For me, it’s after I exercise and pick up my mocha latte. I sit at my computer, sip my coffee and read emails, visit posts and write. It’s very peaceful. I just love that time. I get some of my best harebrained ideas then.
I often wish my cuppa joe would last longer so the afterglow would linger. When it’s over, it’s off to slay dragons. There are errands to run, lists to conquer and plans to be made.
When I worked, it was the time of day when I first arrived at work. I came in early because it was peaceful. I would take off my coat, take a sip of my coffee and reflect on the day. That was the calm before the storm when everyone would beat down my door seeking justice and fairness in all things business.
It was odd that people sought me for that. I don’t believe in fairness. We are not created equal so how can anything truly be fair? That’s just a fact. It’s not fair that I am not 5’7 and drop dead gorgeous. Or that I wasn’t born with a photogenic memory which would have made my job so much easier. Or offering a benefit that works better for one employee over another. I could go on but you get the idea here.
However, the cats had to eat so I found a way to create an aura of fairness. Most times it worked — sometimes not so much. It kept me in Friskies though.
The other special time is at the end of the day, when you change into your bed-clothes, brush your teeth, put goo on your face and settle down. You do whatever helps you unwind — TV, reading, writing, etc. It has to be done with two cats on top of you and two more eyeing you up insinuating that you forgot to feed them. (Fat chance of that ever happening. They would be on the phone with cat care services so fast….)
Even with the cats active and the beloved husband snoring (and that’s a post all by itself), there is something very peaceful about that time of the day.
What do you do to keep calibrated? 
Views and Mews by Coffee Kat 
Your beautiful reflection reminded me of a story I wrote when I was in high school, “At Breakfast.” In it, I reflected on that blissful, quiet time of day. When the sun rose, and all the land was, for a brief moment, golden. (Just like Robert Frost’s poem, “Nothing Gold Can Stay.”) I enjoyed the solitude as I sipped my coffee and took it all in before that moment slipped away and I was off to school.
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When I was younger my dad used to scold me for sleeping late. He was always up early and said it was the beat part of the day. Now I know what he means. Seeing a sunrise, the quietness of the world, having some time to just wake up without the stress and noise of the day, it truly is the best. My routine starts with a cuddle from Coco. She jumps on me and purrs and then we get up and make tea. She gets brushed while I wait for the kettle to boil. On a really good day I am able to squeeze in some yoga stretches too but mostly I get distracted by emails, laundry, and stuff so I need to become a bit more disciplined on that front.
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I like the first patient. There is a slowness to it, like a ramping up for the rest of the day. I think I’m more smiley, listen better, probably explain better too. I’ve already walked the wee beastie to school, I’ve picked up a coffee on the way home, maybe had a chat to the barista, I’ve smiled a few times so my smile muscle is working and then I hear the door open and soft chatter outside and I know the first patient has arrived and that’s my best time during the working day, I think. I probably even have coffee left in the cup on the desk.
Non work wise, it’s when the wee beastie comes home and he’s hot, and tired and wants something to eat and sits at the kitchen and chats.
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I can relate to that. When I worked, the first person I met with probably saw a more “peaceful” Kate then the rest. As the problems mounted and the quest for solutions lay heavy, some of that peace went away.
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This is a lovely piece Kate…I too like the early morning and the settling at the end of my day…they bookend one another so nicely…you make me want a cat or two at my feet…something I haven’t had in a good long while…just now, I took a long bath, put on my favorite blue-striped Brooks Brothers pajamas and am about to climb into bed with William Howard Taft, the fattest president we’ve ever had. It’s the new Doris Kearns Goodwin book and when I tell you, I can’t wait…I’m not just whistlin Dixie. Really great post 🙂
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I love the early morning before the house wakes up, that’s when my brain is at its best. I always went in to work early as well, I always felt ahead of the game for the rest of the day.
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Both my husband and I are retired. It’s great except every once in a while it’s nice to be home alone. I treasure the days that my husband takes his bike rides. They are therapeutic for both of us! It’s like the quiet before everyone wakes up.
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I love your “sweet spot” time of day. Better than the latest internet “hot spot” which suggests frenetic activity. My sweet spot is when dinner is done and the chores are all put away. It’s when I can blog and comment in peace.
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That’s my second favoritist (spelling?) sweet spot!
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Just today, my fist hit the snooze button and I let my self sleep till 7 … went to the office at 9 and stayed till 6, an hour after most had left. Ahhh ….
My “serenity now” is to get up early on Saturdays and Sundays, brew up some extra strong Tim Hortons and skulk around the house while everyone else is snoring … I blog, read, peruse and more … it’s delicious!
MJ
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Nice….
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I too go into the office in the wee hours of the morning, there’s something about that quiet time that gets me set for a productive day. On the weekends I love early morning with coffee and my laptop. But during the week, putting on my jammies and crawling into bed with a book or my Kindle, is heaven….the earlier the better.
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This is the best thing about winter. It’s dark so you can get into jammies early and veg. Somehow during the summer it doesn’t feel right to do that until it’s dark.
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LIfe isn’t fair. You just have to play with the hand you got (no whining!). Seems hard for people to sort that out these days. Walking outside is my luxury. Somehow seeing the big sky, and water in constant motion – with assorted inhabitants of nature who ignore mankind and manage just fine – it gives perspective.
Nice post – that cat and the cup! hilarious
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Seeker sent me the cat and the cup a while back. I knew they would be useful for a post. Water is wonderful. I put a small (very small) pond in about 5 years ago. I should have had one a long time ago. I can sit and watch the fish and frogs and all my cares slide away.
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Hot tea in a hot tub. The world gets off my shoulders and poof, vanishes, and it’s just me and my oh-so-brilliant thoughts (which unfortunately I can never remember after the cup is empty and the water slishes down the drain).
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Love the word slishes.
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Me too!
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Thanks Eileen. I love words. I especially love the word slishes. And I believe a special word is a good place to start to build a friendship on.
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As a college student I am always on the go and running around with my head cut off, at least it feels that way. So my favorite part of the day is when I get to go over to my friends place and just sit and talk to them about how our days went. We usually do some homework then just relax and catch up and the night usually ends in a movie. These are the things that keep me sane around here.
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Friends help.
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mine is almost always late at night … a veteran night owl, my sweet spot seems to happen when the whole world is still and quiet, and I can point my ears in every direction at once, and hear a noticeable absence of sound … and yes, in my case, it usually means my canine companions are close by, sniffing the air, and listening, too
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You are like my brother. He was always a night owl. I still get emails from him late at night and he’s in his 80s.
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I’m with you ~ coffee and cyber space are perfect together. No demands from anyone that I can’t just click to remove from my sights. 😀
And also putting on my PJ’s at night . . . just right!
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Not working really helps!
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When my nephew was in high school he asked me to better explain what I did for a living, and I said “I take an inherently unfair world and try to make it seem fair to a lot of people.” He got that, b/c rule 1 in his household was Life’s not fair…get over it. Sigh. My favorite time when I worked was early morning, same as you. Now it’s when I crawl into bed at night and read or do the NYT crossword on my iPad. I never run out of puzzles now!
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I can’t count the number of times I said that life’s not fair, get over it. It’s what you make with what you got. Unfortunately some folks are brought up with the concept of everything being “even-Steven.” Some people still have trouble with the concept of human resources.
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Love catching up on Facebook and WordPress first thing in the am with my coffee. Not possible every morning….kitties are out there waiting for the pet sitter to come feed. But I do love those mornings when I can just sit at the computer, read, ponder, think.
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They are the best! It’s a peaceful start to the morning.
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I too used to arrive early and still wake up pre-dawn to envelop myself in the quiet (and to let my husband snore in peace for a few hours)…
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For me it was hard to get up and jump in the fray. Some people do that better. I am much nicer after some peace and a coffee.
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