A morning conversation...

The last week has been such a blessing to me. I have had the chance (although not by choice!) to be at home, rather chained to the couch with a rotten case of pleurisy. Spending time at home for this amount of time with my family in a space of time that is semi-continuing is like a beautiful gift I get to open every morning!

I think about all the different kinds of mornings I have had.

There were those mornings where I woke up in my bedroll covered in dust after a bronc ride the night before. In dirty jeans and a shirt from the night before, my hair a tangle that I never attempted to fix at that moment- I would pull on cold boots and go in search of gas station coffee. More than likely within a few minutes I would be back on the road again still rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. And wishing that I had at least washed my grubby face before showing myself to the general public.

There were the rather difficult mornings spent in town, in Chico. Honestly, this is not a time I look back on with overly fond feelings. The noise, the feeling of being so WATCHED and “controlled” was an icky feeling quite honestly, and I would hide out with Lizzy in the kitchen sipping tea and talking about the next time we could go home to our horses and open spaces.

Some of my favorite mornings were in Scotland as a little girl. Sleeping in as many layers of clothes as we could was a reoccurring theme, and I would clutch my hot water bottle that would sometimes still hold warmth as I ran to the sitting room’s little coal fire that let off enough heat to tempt you with toasty toes. It would usually be raining outside, and the world would be brimming with coziness and the excitement that being apart of my family seems to bring no matter what continent we are in.

There was the morning where I awoke in Switzerland and (for once in my life) was up earlier than everyone else. I slipped out of bed as quietly as I could, and stood on the balcony of the chalet that we were living in at the time. It overlooked a grand view, and I stood on my tiptoes hanging onto the railing, imagining that I was a princess overlooking a kingdom, where singing was the only way of communication. This seemed like it would be heaven on earth to me, and padding back to the bed I shared with my sister, I snuggled in behind her and dreamed about princesses that sang pure happiness until the late morning

Mornings that I woke up in trapping camps, making coffee over open fires and drying boots from the day before, were some of the fondest as well.  Standing with cold hands encircling steaming cups of thick black coffee, and stamping feet in a rhythm that becomes a ritual that brings comfort before heading off to check traps.

Mornings waking up after a fantastic show, knowing that it was fun and successful and the people came away with a feeling of happiness and hope.

Nights that turn into mornings that make you realize why you do what you do.

But the best morning I have ever had, has been without a doubt the mornings of this week. Mornings spent with my family sitting in the sun looking out over miles and miles of Northern California country, drinking hot black coffee and talking over life. Asking questions, laughing over the funny quirks of life and helping each other through the moments in life where you just don’t know what to do. Nothing can replace family. And nothing can replace the time you are living in right now…as my daddy always tells us girls, “These ARE the good old days”. I am going to treasure every moment of it, I hope you do too.

xoxo

~Adrian