Morning is the sun as it cracks over the horizon line, casting colors and shadows. Morning is potential, the beginning. In the morning, we wake up like a lion: roaring and ready to attack the day. (Well, at least that’s what we are supposed to do. Some of us can’t get into lion-mode without that cup of coffee. But still.)
Morning is also the time of gratitude. Before we become that lion roaring about, we pause and start with gratitude by saying Modeh Ani. We acknowledge all that we are fortunate to have in our lives: our homes, our families, and our very breath. Some of it what have we have acquired through sweat, stress and effort, on days when we acted like those lions. But all of it we have because of Hashem’s grace and generosity.
I wonder how much that pause, that little moment of quiet before the roar, impacts each of us. How does taking that still and quiet second before we gulp down our coffee, dash to the train, and get our kids off to school, shape us?
