“The morning, which is the most memorable season of the day, is the awakening hour. Then there is least somnolence in us, and for an hour, at least, some part of us awakes which slumbers all the rest of the day.”

These words were written in Henry David Thoreau’s Walden; or, Life in the Woods. Words that inspired me to begin the mornings with a walk. All my life, so long as I can remember, morning time has not brought out the best in me. Often, crankiness from the preceding day still weighed on my shoulders. Convincingly, I would tell myself that I needed “just a few more minutes,” and then get up at the point to which I had to.

Knowing that waiting until the last minute wasn’t netting more energy throughout the day, as theorized, it has become routine for me to get up early for a walk. So I awake, feeling cranky, and along with morning coffee, go for a walk to a point at which I can watch sunrise.

What I have found is truly amazing. Morning is the point to which I am most honest with myself. Perhaps the reason I have not wanted to get up, truly, is because some greater portion of my intellect already knew this. Simply, it has been buried deep because, for “just a few more minutes” at a time, I could lie. Hidden by the conveniences of the day.

This idea came to me by heart. So, I firmly believe that the origin of our thoughts begin in the heart, and we must give little mind to thoughts of the head. Being a morning person has nothing to do with the morning at all. It has everything to do with the day ahead of us. Who was it that even made the rule that we have to be chipper and bright to get up? I’ve never personally met such a rule-maker.

It would be great to credit the walk as exercise. But seeing how frequently exercise becomes given up on, I wish to give no credit at all. I wish only to get up and to awaken. No hard formula there. Both body and mind benefit to improve my overall state of health.

During the sunrise hours, most days, I plan on walking a portion of the bike path that extends itself from Washington Cemetery to Kroger. I invite you to be there. Perhaps we’ll cross each other’s path, share a nod, wish a good morning, and make the day all the more better.