You Do Not Have to Earn the Morning

The sun is up, and with it comes the heavy work of building your face for the day. You rehearse every sentence in the quiet, testing each word to make sure no slip reveals the shame you carry.

It is exhausting to be your own editor before you have even spoken. But the light does not wait for your performance to be perfect before it arrives.

It is already here, rising without your help, shining on the roof and the street regardless of your preparation. You do not have to earn the morning.

The rising sun comes to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide your feet into the path of peace. It guides the feet that are tired from pacing.

It guides the mouth that is afraid to open. You can stop rehearsing.

The light sees behind the mask and loves what is there. The day begins not with your perfection, but with its arrival.