Norman in the Morning

It’s around 7am, and I hear him make his way toward the kitchen, first stopping to collect the cat's water bowl. His commitment to the morning routine begins. He turns up the gas fireplace and I hear the lids being opened on the jars that contain the coffee grounds. A few scoops into the auto-maker and a "click" to begin the brewing. Off to find his shoes, followed by the sound of the electric garage door, and it's time to rescue the daily newspaper from the driveway. The smell of coffee begins to drift thru the house and my mother's nostrils perk up even though she is still sleeping.

Norman shows commitment in the true sense of the word. He readily admits that does not come from a history of practice and he has the entertaining stories to prove it! But the commitment with which he’s approached life and relationships for some time now comes from love, desire, and knowing who he is. Many people believe that if you have faithfulness, you have commitment. But there is so much more to it than that.

Back into the kitchen from the driveway, the newspaper headlines are already being read, and the sections separated. I hear the clank of a spoon in the sugar bowl and back into the coffee cup to stir – a few glugs of half 'n' half, and I know this cup of coffee isn't for him - it's for my mother. 26 years, and he enjoys this morning routine of making coffee, delivering a cup to her in bed with jam-smeared toast and a few sections of the paper…the headlines, the Arts, etc. He heads back to the kitchen to make his own coffee and toast and to start thru the Sports section. And it’s time for me to make some tea and join him.