Early to bed and early to rise… ah, the age old adage has always been a bone of contention for me. Perhaps, it’s because, for as much of my adult life as I can remember I have always treasured the comfy coziness of my bed - currently a Tempurpedic to make matters worse. Or maybe it’s simply due to the fact that for some time I have considered rising before 7:00 AM barbaric if not downright criminal. Whatever the case may be, I must announce here and now from my soapbox pulpit with all the formality that I can muster:  I am convinced of it.  Early morning is a time to be cherished from a vertical position, awake or semi-awake if one must.

I have recently been blessed to rediscover the beauty of life just after sunrise.  The nip in the morning air, the glistening dew on the finely groomed lawns, and the peaceful beauty of a doe and her fawn making a feast of my uppity neighbors’ flower beds, all make for a fantastic backdrop to what has become my daily walk.  Granted, the stillness of the scenery is somewhat compromised by the roaring noise of my mp3 collection blasting directly into my head. But seriously, what early bird worth her salt would dare set foot beyond her front porch unplugged? It’s unthinkable.  In any case, my music serves only to enhance the experience, to get my blood pumping and to prod me along rather quickly on my marathon sprint towards skinniness restored.  Sheer joy!

Vanity of vanities… nothing in life but vanity itself has succeeded at persuading me to rise and shine in the first moments of daylight: a time which, with stealth approach of Fall, will soon be pre-dawn.  Early morning has always beckoned. I have always responded by hitting the snooze to steal a few more minutes. 

Time and again, the bell tolled early in the convent for our forty-five minute prayer sessions. They always had a strange way of seducing me back to slumber as I prayed.  Hence, I was inadvertently schooled in a deeper loathing for Sister AM.

Then there was that favorite job of mine which had me jumping out of bed pretty damn early itself.  Coffee and greed aided my rising efforts during that phase. 

Over the years, the cries of my babies came closest to winning my heart over to mornings. However, as their untimely feedings waned, so did my love for anything remotely resembling sunrise. And now there’s this.

If necessity is the mother of invention then I’d say that I’ve had to reinvent my views.   Don’t believe for a minute that I did so without digging in my favorite pair of Nine West at the thought of this utterly unfeminine undertaking.  Changing my mind and growing in a genuine appreciation for life just after dawn has been one of the most difficult, yet one of the most rewarding things I have had to do.  Now I actually have time to exercise and I love it.  

Let’s not forget about the friendly maxim which has undergone a little makeover of its own…Early to bed and early to rise, helps get a girl back down to her ideal size!