Sunday mornings. Religious or not, Sunday mornings are sacred. As individuals or as a family, people have routines on Sunday morning that are as much a part of their weekly groove as any other day of the week. Most times we don't think about what that routine is. It is just part of the routine. It may include church or not. It may include watching particular shows on tv or listening to music. Perhaps it involves nothing more than reading the Sunday paper in bed while savoring a chocolate croissant and coffee (mmm...sounds good). Food seems to be a big thing on Sunday mornings. Eating in vs. Going out. Light meal vs. Full out Brunch. Some folks like a quiet morning to themselves while others consider it a time to socialize with family and friends. Whatever the routine is, it belongs to that person.
The thing with routines is that we don't often think about them until they are gone. Sometimes we pay more attention to the absence of our routines than their presence. Sometimes you don't miss a routine until it is gone.
For years now, my Sunday morning routine has been a solo one. If my kids weren't working on Sunday morning, they were sleeping. I enjoyed the solitude and the time to putz around my house by myself. I would get up when the spirit moved me...sometimes late, sometimes early. I would spend time leisurely reading the Sunday paper (starting with the Target ad), usually watching some light-hearted t.v. Often it was CBS' Sunday Morning show. When I had cable, it was probably some decorating show. Definitely not Meet the Press. Many Sundays I would pass on tv altogether and listen to some music--something lively that maybe I would dance to a little. Most times I would make a simple breakfast that I would enjoy with my diet Coke. I would plan my afternoon, which varied greatly. But my morning--well, my morning was pretty simple...basically time to myself, recharging, getting ready for another week.
Routines change. As you know, I moved in with Joel this past spring. Most weekends, his son and daughter are here on Sunday morning (they generally arrive Saturday afternoon). I moved in with a completely different Sunday morning routine in place. It's a routine that belongs to Joel and his kids. Nothing wrong with it. It is just very, very different from my old routine. First off, it involves other people. Probably the most significant aspect of my old routine is that it involved noone but myself. So there's that major change.
I miss my old routine. But fact is, it's gone. I've struggled to figure out what my new routine should be. It's hard trying to blend into an already-established family routine. I feel a bit like an outsider in my own home. And the fact that it is a "family" routine makes me quite aware that I don't have my own kids around. That has been hard.
So I'll continue to create my new Sunday morning routine. It will be a work in progress. I've been thinking that it would be a perfect time to steal away to the studio and do a little painting. I can listen to some music and even dance a little bit. All by myself.
2 comments:
I feel for your need for solitude. I went through a similar thing when I moved in with Mike. I was used to a solid hour alone in the morning-just my coffee, my journal, my dog and the quiet. I moved in with someone who loves to chat first thing in the morning! Worse yet, he wants to talk about what I plan to do that day!! Yikes!!!The last thing I think about during that hour of transition from the dream world to daily reality is what I am going to DO. I only want to BE during that hour. Anyway, good luck figuring out the happy medium...I know there is one.
a good Sunday morning routine in my mind is to wake up real early. Put the pot roast in the crock pot along with the potatos and carrots, put it on low... call friends for lunch ...
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