It's always such a joy that you wake up in the morning and

Hear, O children of tomorrow, the words of Jerome Lawrence, the playwright whose pen gave voice to timeless struggles: “It’s always such a joy that you wake up in the morning and there’s work to do.” These words, though gentle in sound, ring with a truth as enduring as stone—that purpose is the breath of the soul, and labor, far from being a curse, is the vessel of meaning. For to awaken without a task is to drift, but to awaken with work is to live with direction, with fire, with joy.

The meaning of his words lies not in the drudgery of toil, but in the sacredness of purpose. The morning sun, rising upon the world, calls each of us to action, and when we have work worth doing, the day becomes a gift. It is not the idler, lost in endless leisure, who knows joy, but the one who labors in devotion to a cause, to a craft, to a calling. For work gives structure to time and dignity to effort, shaping the hours into steps upon the road of destiny.

Consider the story of Michelangelo, who at dawn climbed the scaffolding of the Sistine Chapel. Day after day, for years, he labored with aching arms and weary eyes, painting the visions of creation across the ceiling. To others, this might have seemed unbearable toil; to him, it was sacred work, the burden that was also a blessing. His mornings were filled not with emptiness, but with the certainty that there was still a corner of the heavens to paint. Thus, he embodied Lawrence’s truth: that the greatest joy is to awaken and know there is something worthy to be done.

So too did Mother Teresa greet her mornings. Rising before the sun, she walked into the streets of Calcutta, tending the sick and forgotten. Her labor was not easy; it was steeped in sorrow and pain. Yet she called it joy, for in her work she found communion with her God and with humanity. Her “work to do” was the salvation of lives, and even the smallest act of care became radiant with meaning. She too shows us that the morning’s labor, when guided by love, is the greatest of blessings.

The origin of Lawrence’s words may be found in his own life as a writer, creating works such as Inherit the Wind, which confronted issues of freedom, thought, and justice. For a playwright, the work is never truly finished; each morning brings revisions, re-imaginings, the endless pursuit of truth through story. It was in this unceasing task that Lawrence found joy, for each day was another chance to shape words into meaning, to awaken minds through drama. His words reveal not fatigue, but gratitude—for the very fact that the struggle continues.

The lesson is clear: to live fully, one must embrace work not as burden, but as blessing. Even the smallest tasks, when approached with gratitude, can be transformed into steps toward greatness. The farmer tilling the soil, the teacher guiding a child, the craftsman shaping wood—all may greet the morning with joy if they see in their labor not mere survival, but creation, contribution, and legacy. It is the empty morning, without work or purpose, that is the true curse.

Therefore, O listeners of tomorrow, let this truth be carved into your hearts: when you wake and find work before you, rejoice. For the day has given you a mission, however humble, and in that mission lies meaning. Do not despise the task, for in its completion is the shaping of your soul. Live each day not as one drifting aimlessly, but as one entrusted with sacred labor.

So let Jerome Lawrence’s words resound: to awaken with work is to awaken with joy. Cherish the task, rise to it with courage, and let each morning’s burden be your crown. For in labor lies the proof that you live, and in purpose lies the path to immortality.