Describe your most ideal day from beginning to end.

No obligations or expectations required.

The day before, I shared time catching up with friends and family, so today I am intentionally less social.

I wake up early, somewhere between 4 and 5 a.m. I start reading, and quickly peace enters my inner hemisphere. The morning settles into a cozy, calm cadence. Time passes slower than usual. I take a long, sweet breath, inhaling the richness of the early morning deliciousness.

It’s time to write, but not in bed or at my cozy writing desk. I venture outside and sit at the table in my backyard, opening the umbrella to protect me and my laptop.

Time passes again, unhurried, like floating down a slow-moving body of water, refreshing the senses as it moves.

Before walking the dog, I do a little lifting, giving the muscle group of choice a good what for. Then I look over at her, patiently waiting.

“Okay, Dolly, it’s that time.”

Before I even grab her leash, she’s twirling around and around with excitement.

“Me too, Dolly. Me too.”

When we get back, the morning is still here, easing toward the cusp of early afternoon.

Before I settle in for a rewarding Netflix binge, I go back outside and sit still. I close my eyes and clear my thoughts of any residual what-ifs or to-dos. No fretting. No yearning. Just staying in rhythm with the day.

Time to lie down in a bed made exactly right for me. Pillows fluffed. Cozy jammies. Tasty food and beverage. Animals nestled close, remote in hand.