My rising time has been between 4 -5 am my entire life. I have always tried to be in bed with lights out by 9 pm.

I have never used an alarm clock, not even during the years I was a business traveler and had to be at the airport by 5 am.

Yes, I wake up periodically through the night, more so as I age (83 this year), but this has never affected my rising time or my energy level.

I love my early mornings. I’m outside filling bird feeders, and water dishes, and checking on my gardens as the sun rises. It’s a glorious way to start.

Then breakfast with my cats, the morning paper, and Medium before my husband, the grumpy morning person joins us.