Two Mornings a Day

When I tell people that I start my day before 5 a.m., the usual response is something like, “You’re getting old before 50.” Maybe that’s true, however, I have many reasons to do so. One of those is that I simply get two mornings a day.

There is something very amazing about waking up early. The world is less chaotic. Time feels strangely generous. It feels as if life has quietly gifted me an extra morning, one that most people sleep through.

The first morning belongs entirely to me. It is the hour when the city is silent. There are a few vehicles on the road, no rush, and it feels like Kathmandu is a city of gods and goddesses. The city feels calm and patient. I can't wait to see and feel the city. Then I prepare for my run. I select a good podcast for the run. The streets are quieter, and the city feels like a different place. I feel like owning the entire city, but momentarily. Slowly, the city begins to reclaim its territory. Motorbikes appear. Buses and cars start to occupy the free spaces, and of course, people start their morning. By then, I am usually on my way home, having enjoyed the first part to the fullest.

The second morning is generic. I sit down with my first coffee of the day, fresh, hot, and absolutely necessary for my body to function. Often, the podcast I listened to during the run continues to echo in my head. A random idea or conversation from the podcast shakes my thoughts, sometimes forcing me to think more deeply about topics. Some thoughts travel with me through the day, quietly accompanying me during my office work and conversations. Some are so thought-provoking that they eventually find their way into my evening journal.

And the sun rises. Traffic thickens, dust rises, and the movement begins. Then I join the pack. I drop my daughter off at the bus stop and prepare for work like everyone else. The normal morning begins. But by then, I have already lived one.

Sometimes I feel that all people should claim the extra morning that arrives every day before sunrise. Waking up early should not be that difficult, nor does someone have to be 50 years old to do so. People simply need to test it for a couple of days. Soon, there will be this realisation that waking up early adds a few extra hours of quality time to the day, the hours that can shape the rest of the day in a quiet but powerful way.

Most people live one morning a day. Some of us are lucky enough to live two.

Enjoy double mornings.

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