I've never been much of a night owl. The appeal of sitting in the dark while the rest of the world sleeps never came to me. Not that the night sky isn't beautiful and worth staying up for. Stargazing is a must at least once a year. The moon is pretty and yes, I love stars. But being alone? Not so much my cup of tea.
Many of my friends, online and off, are, however, night owls. It's pretty common for me to get texts anywhere from midnight to 4 a.m. I say this like I check my phone at those hours. I really don't. My friends call me an old grandpa because I'm usually in bed by 9, maybe later, if I'm busy with friends or school. But the sentiment of them texting me in the hours that they like to spend alone means a lot to me. I always make sure to show my appreciation at a decent time and not at 2:30 a.m.
Now I said I don't like being alone, but wait a minute, I just said all my friends are awake at that time. Let me explain something: I'm afraid of the dark. I hate it. I can't even sleep in darkness, I have a night light for that. What does the dark and night have in common? It's always dark at night. In the dark, I feel vulnerable. It's not safe feeling and none of my friends actually are alive. Skyping and texting can only do so much with a phobia. But the light, that's where I thrive.
I'm more of a morning person myself. I love to wake up with the sun, but that's near impossible during the summer because that requires getting up at 5 a.m. and this pretty boy needs his beauty rest. But the sight of the different hues streaking the sky is breathtaking. It's like a clean slate. It doesn't matter what happened yesterday because that's in the past, and today is a new day filled with new choices.
What I love most about mornings is the company. Sure, everyone in my household might either be sleeping or at work, but the world is awake. Birds chirp -- which I secretly hope every morning will wake my brother up -- and bees chase after flowers. Cars go down my street and it's peaceful. I'm not alone. I'm surrounded by life and that's the calmest feeling I've ever experienced.
In the mornings I feel like I can conquer the world. Mainly by cleaning everything in my entire house, but hey, baby steps. The light that shines through every window in my house reminds me that even if this day ends, many more will take its place and that steady rhythm of repetition helps me live my life. Even if I have a bad day, morning will come again and revive my psyche. Morning is when I flourish and I wouldn't have it any other way.
