Converted Morning Person

I've always called myself a night owl, I come from a long line of them. I'm the girl who can close down a bar, stay up with you till wee hours in the morning watching "Friends" marathon on a Friday night, or until recently, crafting late into the evening. Making use of those special hours when no one calls me Mommy.
I've never been a morning person. People would comment that I'd become one once I had kids. Nope, never happened. And now in only week two of being at work I find myself enjoying getting up at 5am before anyone else in the house. Hearing the sounds of the boys dreaming in their beds. I'm enjoying the quiet, the stillness. Dharma (the dog) has also been enjoying our morning walks, barking/howling as we walk out the door so that everyone within a block radius knows that she is up and out for her walk. I often wonder what the neighbors think about this, if they are cursing us or using us as their alarm clock. When the world is so still random people become part of your routine. You notice things that later in the day you wouldn't give a second of your attention to. The construction worker backing his big, pickup truck out of his driveway has become part of our routine. The man in the mini van with the squeaky tires who picks up the local dogs for doggie daycare has become part of our walk. And now Dharma and I have become a part of theirs. I pass a house with an old lady in a housecoat sitting in her living room, she's one of the only houses with lights on, she just sits and stares out the window. I wonder how long she remains that way. If it's just how she likes to start her day or if she's lonely and watching the neighbors has become her entertainment. One day last week I waved as we passed her house and her face lit up and she waved her thin, arthritic hand furiously in return. Today I got out of the house a tad bit later than our normal time and when I approached the old lady's house I noticed she was sitting on the edge of her wing back chair craning her neck in the direction from which we approach. I smiled and waved and I couldn't help but notice how her face relaxed when she saw us, almost a sign of relief. It brought a tear to my eye because soon we will be moving and it hurts my heart to know that this old lady, this stranger, will miss us. Dharma and I have become a part of her morning and she has become a part of mine. I'll miss that.
The picture is by Megan Rhodes. Please visit her etsy shop if you'd like to purchase this stunning print.