It is very early, and I am at my cluttered table writing this as the sky lightens behind me. The sun is rising. A new day is being ushered in, thanks to the dependable rotation of the rock we live on and the light pouring out of my favorite ball of hydrogen some ninety-three million miles away.

Maybe it is anxiety, maybe it’s the damned medication I’m taking, or maybe I’m just getting old, but in any case I woke up miserable. Morning is broken, and I don’t know why.

Here I sit just me, the dishwasher (which I will load twice this morning because I’m OCD about dirty dishes), and cup after cup of coffee. The pets and the rest of their masters are still asleep and I am in danger of writing a day off before it has barely begun.

Surrender would be easy, but I’m going to work through it. The sunlight behind me, growing stronger with every click of the keyboard, is a reminder that each day has promise, if we chose to pursue it. I will pursue it today. Here is my plan, a checklist if you will, one I hope you will find useful on broken mornings:

• I will find some small, quick and simple thing to accomplish today. I’ll trim the lawn or perhaps clean the stove and oven. The key is picking a task that has visible results I feel good about when I finish.
• I will smile at everyone I encounter today, and smile twice as hard for those who don’t smile back. I’ve learned that smiles are like water dripping on a sharp stone. They wear you down, and in almost every case a smile given is eventually returned.
• I will forgo my smartphone or television for a walk. Walking is harder for me these days, but I’ve never had a bad day that a walk hasn’t gone a long way towards curing.

I could add things to this list, I suppose. I could make it impossibly long, which would in fact guarantee failure. I’ve learned, however, that a three-point plan gets the job done best.

You will have a morning like this. It is inevitable. When it comes, meet it head-on with your own three-point plan. Keep it simple and achievable. Make your bed, smile a lot and hoof it a little.

Morning may be broken on occasion, but the rest of the day …well that’s on us, isn’t it?

Be good to each other…

James