Being Thankful # 6

This has been a surprisingly pleasant morning, despite my being up and, in fact, writing this at what some might consider an unusually early hour for a day off (it is just past 6:30 in the morning as I sit and write this presently).

I dreamed, of all things, about San Francisco, which my son and I recently visited, and which has felt on each of my visits like the truly ideal city. It feels like such a blessing to have visited such remarkably places during our recent trip, although San Francisco felt almost like a familiar old friend, even though I had really only been there once before, and for no more than an extended weekend, really.

Later today, the rains will come. A storm is approaching for the latter part of this Labor Day weekend, and the weather will turn ugly.

Yesterday, however, turned out to be as beautiful a day as you could ask for. A bit cloudy and cool to start with, but the sun came out, and things warmed up just a bit - but not too much. It was not a blazing sun, and the day never got uncomfortably hot, like so many other summer days that we have had here in the northeast. 

Last evening, I went to go pick up my son from my parent's place. Wound up spending longer than expected there, mostly watching tennis and catching up with my father, while my son played around a bit between my mom, who was in bed reading, and my father and I while we were watching tennis. Before long, though, it was time to start heading back.

My son went to sleep shortly after I put him to bed, and I watched television (Impractical Jokers - which is admittedly a bit of a mild addiction for me) before retiring to bed myself.

Unfortunately, my girlfriend works today. She only gets one day off every two weeks, and yesterday was it. So, I make sure to be off, so we can enjoy the day together, which we did yesterday. Today, however, it will be my son and me. Most likely, we will leave a bit earlier than usual, simply because I want to minimize the amount of driving necessary for when the weather turns bad.

It has not done so yet. In fact, this was one of the most surprisingly pleasant mornings that I can remember. It is still not fully light out, with that soft daylight common to the early morning hours, and the coolness that usually accompanies it. Personally, I have always preferred cool evenings and mornings. Not hot, and not too cold. Nights and mornings like this, when you can open up a window and enjoy the cool, refreshing air, feels like how things should be when they are most ideal.

As my girlfriend got up and prepared for work, I was in that state of being simultaneously half asleep yet half awake. I can hear some crickets outside, a pleasant noise to me that always conjures up images of summer evenings. And more remotely, I began to hear a new noise. It felt like it could not be at first, but after a minute or two, the sound of a rooster chiming in the new day was undeniable. I asked my girlfriend if she could hear that, and she said yes.

It all felt so pleasant. Eventually, I got up out of bed, and still waking up, looked out at the small shared yard (we live in an apartment complex). This yard looks out into the woods, which is a pleasant aspect of this particular apartment complex (rather than looking out on a parking lot). There are deer in those woods, and they often come out. They were there now, and watching them with the woods as the backdrop, while listening to the rooster, felt somehow like a privilege.

The dog got up by this point, too. When my son is over, he likes to climb up and sleep at his feet, which I always find both cute and endearing. That was what he did, and it made this already pleasant morning nicer still. 

My girlfriend works hard, and so do I. We both work more than one job, and have done so for years. Days off can often feel few and far between. 

Yet, sometimes, you do get days off that can feel truly restorative and pleasant. These days can recharge your batteries, and that is what this weekend, and this morning in particular, felt like. It was nice, it was pleasant, and feels like a blessing. Already, it might be one of the most pleasant memories to keep for this month, while is already young. This time of the year, when a blazing summer yields to the milder autumn, can be especially pleasant in the northeast, and I, for one, feel ready for it. 

And on this morning, I just wanted to take a moment to give thanks, to express my appreciation for such a pleasant morning!