Hey NJ, am I crazy for just now coming to this realization?

Forgive me if I sound like a young adult here, but I am one!

Growing up, my dad was always a morning person. Whether he was working that day or not, he’d be up when the sun rises. For my entire life, I never understood how or why he did that.

Who wants to get up early when they don’t need to? Sleeping in used to be the best thing in the world. No school on a Friday? Sleep till 10:30 or 11:00 a.m. Weekends? Same deal.

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Even once I got into the workforce, I still had that same mindset. Over the years, that began to change, though.

Sleeping in gradually went from 11 a.m. to 10 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. and then to 8:30 a.m. If I get up at 8:30 a.m. on a weekend now, I feel like I’ve wasted half the day.

Waking up late goes hand in hand with staying up late. The night owl that I used to be has become less so as I’ve gotten older. All the sudden, getting into bed at 10 or 10:30 doesn’t feel like a crime anymore.

I typically work overnights Friday night into Saturday morning, but this weekend I didn’t have to. Instead of planning something to stay out late Friday evening, I decided to say no to plans and get in bed early.

Canva / Townsquare Media illustration

The result of that was waking up at 6:30 a.m. Saturday morning, and it was glorious. Making scrambled eggs and coffee while the sun is gently rising. Everything is quiet. Being awake and alert while the rest of the world is still in a deep sleep. Well, except for my dad, probably.

I don’t think I can officially say I’ve become my father in that sense, but I can say that I understand now why he loved waking up early and enjoying his mornings.

So, maybe I am crazy for getting to 26 before realizing just how amazing mornings are. But I’ll tell you what, I’ll never think of someone else as crazy for being up when the sun rises.

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Gallery Credit: Dennis Malloy

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The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5's Kyle Clark. Any opinions expressed are his own.

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