Keeping time. . .

6:00 AM. . .

How quiet it is this morning. I am listening to a duet that is hardly musical (rhythmic, maybe) between the hum of the furnace and the ticking clock. Before I know it, my toes will be moving as I absent mindedly keep time. Soon after, my foot will be tapping. Then, realizing what I am doing, I’ll stop the motion only to repeat the process until I finally surrender to the harmless habit. To be honest, I had no awareness of this "quirk" until several years ago when I overheard one of my kids say (about me) “she never stops moving.” I was surprised. Until then, I really thought I was rather calm. Now I realize I am actually very nervous and “twitchy.”

So what do you do with “twitchy?” I guess you pick out rhythms in whatever you hear to keep time with and if there are none, you make up your own. I guess it’s harmless. It doesn’t seem to distract me from matters at hand. I think it may even assist my attentiveness.

I usually begin with a simple beat using one toe. If it is a slow beat, I might double the time. Pretty soon, the entire foot is involved (usually in a circular motion) and the opposite toe will pick up a little syncopation. Sometimes, little amusing nonsensical phrases that fit the rhythm come to mind and I throw them into the mix.

For some reason, I am thinking of the forlorn face in the picture of Stephen Foster. I say “the” picture because I have only ever seen the same one which leads me to believe there might not be others. (Note to self: research this) As a child, I always felt sad when I looked at his eyes in that picture, especially after having learned about his life. I wondered how someone so sad could have written all those cute little “ditties” I loved when I was a kid. Of course, as an adult, I understand more of what was beneath them.

I’m amazed at the journey the mind takes when you let it flow freely! How on earth did I go from “quiet morning” to the pathos of Stephen Foster?!

(I need to reset my clock)

And. . . . . .why do we call it "keeping time?"  We all know time does not keep.  It marches on.

I thank God for quiet mornings, flowing thoughts, rhythms of life and the writers of songs that touch the lives of children. Amen.