What time do you get up?

My brother has just posted about SAD (seasonally affected disorder):

"A medically identified condition whereby one tends to be depressed by winter. Augmented in my case by rising at 06.25 into a dark world.”

Brother arises early to pursue his novel writing.

I have posted this as a comment on his blog, but also grabbed the chance of using it here.

I empathise with your early rising. Circumstances have dictated that I now arise at 6:00 am on three mornings per week to receive granddaughter Katie at 7:00 am while Mum (High Horse) goes off to her teaching job. On one of those mornings my duties only extend to dropping K off at nursery at 9:00am, and on the other two I pick up at 12:00 and supervise until teatime.

The big difference here is that your version is voluntary and mine enforced. Yours requires more self-discipline, but mine is, I guess, more traumatic  physiologically - I feel like a limpet being torn from a rock. When daylight prevails earlier in the year I have a feeling of smug satisfaction that I am making best use of precious time and would say to myself, if I was arising at say 8:00 am, “I have wasted half the day". Such contrasting differences are sure to affect my mental state in opposite ways.

Having said that I enjoy my role. K is all delight, and much better behaved with me than I think she is with her mum. In particular listening to the building of language and intonations is fascinating - it is a bewildering miracle of human development - how the hell does it happen?

Taken today

Katie will be four next week. This photo was a year ago.