WHY HUMANS STAND IN THE MORNING LIGHT

I’ve been watching the humans in the early part of the day.

They rise from the sleep place while the house is still dim. One of them moves first and makes small sounds. Then they go to the tall opening in the wall and pull it wide.

Light enters in a long strip across the floor.

The humans stop there.

They do not walk through the light right away. They stand inside it first. Sometimes both of them do this, one after the other. They turn their faces toward the outside and stay still while the light spreads farther into the room.

The rest of the house has not started yet. No food sounds. No water running. No outside coverings on their feet.

Only the light entering the den.

I have seen them do this on bright mornings and gray ones. Even when the outside is wet. Even when the light is weak. They still open the wall and stand there before the rest of the movement begins.

We check the outside differently. You go to the edge of the den. You smell the air. You learn what changed during the dark period.

But the humans let the light enter first.

I think they use it to find out whether the outside is ready for them. They stand still while the light reaches across the floor. Then the rest of the day begins.

June (quietly): “Do they wait for it every morning?”

Walter: “Yes. The day does not seem ready until it arrives.”