I'm sure my Papaw said a lot of wonderful things but for some reason, this is the phrase I repeat the most. My grandparents got up with the chickens.
I, did not.
When we visited their house that was nestled in the hills of North Alabama, the last thing I wanted to do was get up at 4am and... well, do nothing. Mawmaw and my mom always had an excellent breakfast of biscuits & gravy, sausage, fried taters and usually fresh tomatoes. Once breakfast was consumed, the day was usually spent just talk'n or maybe a visit to the Pig if it was trad'n day.
As I would lay there under the same quilts my mama used as a kid, my mind would take in all the things. My sister and I usually slept in the peach room. There was also a purple room and a pink room. I was never quite sure why the rooms were so bright, I was told at some point my Papaw was color blind but I'm not sure that's truth. The peach room had just enough room for the furniture. The smell was a mixture of cedar (from the wardrobe), coal and just plain ol old stuff LOL Not sure how to describe it other than that but I can still most definitely smell it.
After laying there for as long as I could possibly hold the fact I had to use the one bathroom in the house, I'd mosey down the hallway. Biscuits would be sitting on the table, what was left of breakfast in bowls with plates over them to keep the flies out and Papaw, sitting in his chair sport'n his rainbow suspenders. With a mouth full of dip he'd say with a chuckle
"Ja get up before ya woked up?"
Yesterday, I indeed got up before I woked up
Lately, I've had the liberty of waking up when my body wants to which is usually 6:30 or 7. Yesterday, I had to... well, I THOUGHT I had to set my alarm for 6. My body wasn't a fan. As I laid here trying to pry my eyes open, the thought crossed my mind "it's much easier to get up when I wake up"
DING DING DING DING
So THAT'S what he meant... I laid here and chuckled at the thought of him chuckling. I'm get'n closer to 50 every day and I'm just NOW understanding what that means. Here's the thing about getting up before you wake up - your body may fight back.
It turned out to be most definitely a Monday in all the ways BUT I'm happy to say that today - I woke up BEFORE I got up :)
My Papaw passed away 37 years ago today.
I'm grateful for the times we did have but if I could go back, I'd get up a little earlier and sit a little longer. Wrap the quilt around me and shuffle down the hallway in my black bottom socks (coal heaters make EVERYTHING black) just to hear one more time...
"Ja get up before ya woked up"
