Waking up this morning reminded me, once again how small I am, how I am just one among many.
Waking up this morning reminded me, once again that there is something bigger than me.
Waking up this morning reminded me, once AGAIN, how beautiful the world is around me, next to me, above me, beside me.
What an amazing summer back in the States - just blessed and full. Full of love and family and friends and new experiences and old experiences made new again. And yet arriving home to Nairobi seemed so natural, so comforting, so warm despite the chill in the air, so satisfying, so loving. Yes it is good to be home to see my partner, to see my friends, to see home.
The welcome home weekend was full of course, catching up, staying up, drinking up!
It all has to end though, yes? He has to travel for work, friends must return to their responsibilities, and I must prepare for my week. And yet Sunday night as full and sated as I was - I could not sleep...I was full of energy - wide awake. I questioned myself: anxiety? no; hungry? no; cold? no; time change? maybe, no. Sigh. All night positing why am I awake...of course only to fall asleep at some hour unknown...
The blessing arrived though...through all the questions, all the wondering...I have been taught again and again, AND again. LISTEN. Stop filling the quiet with questions and LISTEN.
Waking up early, waking up before the sun seems sometimes, presumptuous and rude. The sun is not up and here I am wide awake - eyes open under my eye mask, trying to fool myself maybe that I am still asleep...but no I am awake. I feel my heartbeat, I feel the warmth of my bed, I feel alive.
Still it seems rude, I know it is early, it is dark the sun has yet to rise and I think...is God awake? Is it not rude to be up so early....and then I hear the waterfall of sounds, knowing I am truly awake...and then I DO feel rude presumptuous, an interloper of the morning - of Gods' time.
The sounds of birds. The irony that I live in an urban city, filled with all things urban, high-rises and highways, trucks and workers, airports and cars and all things that make a city thrive and survive.
But I only hear birds.
long tweet tweet
quick twitter twitter
hoot
wha wha
tweet
whoooo who whoo
CAW CAW
twitter twitter
warble
hoot
I lay real still. I giggle and wonder why? The birds can't see me in my home. The birds don't even know I exist - I wouldn't know they were even in the trees if it weren't for their morning symphony.
Maybe it is I CAN'T move - I am overwhelmed that I am allowed to hear this concert = this performance. Announcing the coming of the Sun! I try to focus on a single tweet or warble - I try to find a rhythm, it so thick it is hard to know who could conduct such a beautiful morning. I know Who.
And then I hear a neighbor stir, maybe they are just getting out of bed to make their coffee, maybe they are late for work, maybe they too have been up before the sun listening in to the same concert as I.
My neighbor though, does not add to musicology and I focus back on the sounds
twit
tweet tweeter
hoohoo WHO
warble warble
I keep reminding myself I live in a city - a true urban jungle, eh? In Chicago - I wake in the morning and wait for the sun to rise over the lake - but all I receive is silence...silence. No birds, an occasional EL passing by, surely no birds. I watch for the sun and I hear the sounds of the morning through color, yes?
Here in Nairobi, I smile and lay still, I give thanks, I pray for a good day, for health, and Peace.
I begin to wonder how do the birds know when to start their morning symphony. Where does this waterfall of sound begin.
Cock-A-DOODLE-DOO!
And then the sun. I giggle. I laugh. There is a happy, proud announcement!
COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!
The SUN!
The day has begun.
Waking up this morning reminded me, once again that there is something bigger than me.
Waking up this morning reminded me, once AGAIN, how beautiful the world is around me, next to me, above me, beside me.
What an amazing summer back in the States - just blessed and full. Full of love and family and friends and new experiences and old experiences made new again. And yet arriving home to Nairobi seemed so natural, so comforting, so warm despite the chill in the air, so satisfying, so loving. Yes it is good to be home to see my partner, to see my friends, to see home.
The welcome home weekend was full of course, catching up, staying up, drinking up!
It all has to end though, yes? He has to travel for work, friends must return to their responsibilities, and I must prepare for my week. And yet Sunday night as full and sated as I was - I could not sleep...I was full of energy - wide awake. I questioned myself: anxiety? no; hungry? no; cold? no; time change? maybe, no. Sigh. All night positing why am I awake...of course only to fall asleep at some hour unknown...
The blessing arrived though...through all the questions, all the wondering...I have been taught again and again, AND again. LISTEN. Stop filling the quiet with questions and LISTEN.
Waking up early, waking up before the sun seems sometimes, presumptuous and rude. The sun is not up and here I am wide awake - eyes open under my eye mask, trying to fool myself maybe that I am still asleep...but no I am awake. I feel my heartbeat, I feel the warmth of my bed, I feel alive.
Still it seems rude, I know it is early, it is dark the sun has yet to rise and I think...is God awake? Is it not rude to be up so early....and then I hear the waterfall of sounds, knowing I am truly awake...and then I DO feel rude presumptuous, an interloper of the morning - of Gods' time.
The sounds of birds. The irony that I live in an urban city, filled with all things urban, high-rises and highways, trucks and workers, airports and cars and all things that make a city thrive and survive.
But I only hear birds.
long tweet tweet
quick twitter twitter
hoot
wha wha
tweet
whoooo who whoo
CAW CAW
twitter twitter
warble
hoot
I lay real still. I giggle and wonder why? The birds can't see me in my home. The birds don't even know I exist - I wouldn't know they were even in the trees if it weren't for their morning symphony.
Maybe it is I CAN'T move - I am overwhelmed that I am allowed to hear this concert = this performance. Announcing the coming of the Sun! I try to focus on a single tweet or warble - I try to find a rhythm, it so thick it is hard to know who could conduct such a beautiful morning. I know Who.
And then I hear a neighbor stir, maybe they are just getting out of bed to make their coffee, maybe they are late for work, maybe they too have been up before the sun listening in to the same concert as I.
My neighbor though, does not add to musicology and I focus back on the sounds
twit
tweet tweeter
hoohoo WHO
warble warble
I keep reminding myself I live in a city - a true urban jungle, eh? In Chicago - I wake in the morning and wait for the sun to rise over the lake - but all I receive is silence...silence. No birds, an occasional EL passing by, surely no birds. I watch for the sun and I hear the sounds of the morning through color, yes?
Here in Nairobi, I smile and lay still, I give thanks, I pray for a good day, for health, and Peace.
I begin to wonder how do the birds know when to start their morning symphony. Where does this waterfall of sound begin.
Cock-A-DOODLE-DOO!
And then the sun. I giggle. I laugh. There is a happy, proud announcement!
COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!
The SUN!
The day has begun.
