The best time of the day . . .

   "Morning has broken, like the first morning . . . " . So sang Cat Stevens in his version of the song written in 1931.  Today at 5:45 a.m., I revisited  a frequent option . . . back to bed for another hour or so or get up, have coffee , meditate and enjoy the quiet.  Gratefully, I opted for the latter despite hearing the long-ago lyrics: "Oh, how I hate to get up in the morning".

   Now, I am a bona fide Myers-Briggs Introvert.  I love my wife, our dog, family, and friends .  Still (was going to change that word, but it seems to fit ): [Being] still, I can feel my soul's  'batteries' being recharged.  And, early morning seems to be the ideal zone.
As an added bonus, sometimes that makes me easier to live with (sorry about the preposition).

   Sacred scriptures extol the need and the benefits of early morning quiet.  And, I remember lines from a pious poem learned when a teen: "I met God in the morning, when the day was at its  best." ( apologies to the late Bishop Cushman if I misquoted).  My late friend, J.R., regularly arose around 4:30 for meditation and reflection.

   'The world' makes a lot of noise of varying decibels.  Early in the morning, even  the whirring of a refrigerator is LOUD.  My corner office faces a busy intersection across from a large hospital .  After several years in that location, I can distinguish the sirens of fire trucks, police, and emergency vehicles without even a glance out the window.  And sometimes, just for added volume, the AirCare helicopter joins the raucous. 

   But, back to mornings. The above photograph of a December sunrise over the Atlantic captures for me the restorative benefit of watching morning 'break' yet again.

   Years ago, there was a   Pogo Possum cartoon where the Owl motions to Pogo to join him in a boat. After a time of  shared silence, Owl commented that nothing compares to early morning silence.  Pogo: "Makes you wonder why more people don't try it."

     Satchel