I’ve been getting up earlier and earlier lately. Truthfully, I like being up when the day brightens. I love mornings and I’m most productive in the morning hours. This is the time I used to write when I was publishing books. But now in my retirement, I clean my house, and take care of essentials, like feeding and brushing my cats, and fixing breakfast for me.

This morning, I decided to water the plants on my front porch and in the front garden. It has been super hot for a good week, so I don’t want them to be thirsty. It was only 6:15am when I stepped outside. I heard a voice calling to me and looked up. My neighbor at the far end of the adjacent condos said, “See the ducks!” Sure enough there were several ducks on the rise above the pond between the trees. “There are a lot of them!” she called. And I smiled and thanked God for neighbors who share the love of early morning…and for the ducks.

I’ve been feeling very happy since then. Life is filled with beauty and it is true that God provides what we need. Front porch mornings bring me joy.