Waking up this morning as the sunlight peaked through the curtains of our room, I took a moment to think about what a morning in Nova Scotia, my home province, looks like to someone not from here. Stepping outside after brewing a cup of coffee the though took a moment to settle, typically I don't stop to think about this one very often it seemed, so I looked around at my street and the road connecting us to the little shopping center. When I think of a morning in Nova Scotia, closing my eyes, I think of foggy crisp mornings and the fall. When autumn hits here, it's like the province becomes another world and that's the type of morning that really feels like home. We pride ourselves on the beautiful change of our trees, the bustle of downtown Halifax as people make their way to work, the smell of coffee from any of the cafes, but mainly the Tim Hortons that you can find on almost any corner or street. The glimps of the waterfront from the main street, shops opening their doors and flicking on their open signs. I think of my commute to work and the folks on the bus, talking to family or friends, finishing up last minute things for work over the phone, students reading textbooks to get a head start on that days lesson, children being taken to school...we often over look the small things that happen around us in our day to day, other people rushing past us in a blur. But during the autumn mornings in Nova Scotia there's a sense of slowing down (even just a bit) and taking in the changes around. I watch the people on my street start their cars, kiss their partners or children goodbye for the day, well wishes for good days and hurried reminders of forgotten lunches. It fills me with a sense of warmth to see others making their way around and about while taking a moment to greet each other, a "good morning" here, a "How's it going?" there. Folks holding doors open for each other, compliments being offered and "Have a good day" ringing in the air. Mornings can be rough, waking up before the sunrises though, that's a special time indeed. The air crisp no matter the season, the gentle song of birds and bugs in the spring and summer, the soft hush of autumn and winter. Holding onto your mug of coffee while just observing. Nova Scotia's not without its faults, but the beauty the land holds, and the glimpses of genuinely lovely human interactions is something to cherish during these times... I love getting to hold on to these morning moments, let them fuel me with hope, and joy.
