With a yawn and a sigh of frustration over our static-filled cellular connection, my husband wished me goodnight and left me with this thought, "At least we have our coffee to look forward to."

He knows me so well!

This week I’m playing catch-up from my travels to Savannah, Georgia. While I was contemplating skipping my Thursday post, my husband’s comment reminded me of a conversation I had with my daughter during our visit. To make a long post short, somehow we ended up discussing what gets us out of bed in the morning.

Not the reason we MUST get out of bed, as with educational or financial commitments, but rather, the real reason we press on every day. The passion that helps us endure jobs that aren’t always pleasant or classes that demand too much of us.

Typical parent, I don’t remember what I said, for I was more focused on my daughter’s response. Howeve
r, the question must have lingered in my mind, for after saying goodnight to my husband, I began to ponder it.

My husband was right, at least partly so. Thoughts of sipping coffee arrive shortly after opening my eyes in the morning. But the truth is, it’s not what I’m sipping so much as with whom. At night, I often make grand plans to jump out of bed and dive into my writing at the crack of dawn, but when the sun comes up, what gets me out of bed is the thought of seeing my friends at the coffee shop. It may not be the most productive way to start my day, but it does guarantee I start my day with a smile. :)

I suppose I would be a more successful writer if it was my passion for writing that got me out of bed—not that I don’t look forward to it—but before I get there, it’s those smiling coffee shop faces, the passionate political arguments, and daily gossip that get my creative juices flowing.

What gets you out of bed in the morning?