--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I confess, right at the start, to the…" description: "\"I confess, right at the start, to the doubts - and sometimes outright dreads - that go with me as I climb the stairs to my study in the morning, coff..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/012/gail-godwin-13566_angel_i-confess-right-at-the-start-to-the-doub_1782760.jpg" --- # I confess, right at the start, to the doubts - and… ![“I confess, right at the start, to the doubts - and sometimes outright dreads - that go with me as I climb the stairs to my study in the morning, coffee mug in hand: I have to admit to the habitual apprehension mixed with a sort of reverence, as I light the incense . . . and wonder: what is going…” quote by Gail Godwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/012/gail-godwin-13566_angel_i-confess-right-at-the-start-to-the-doub_1782760.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/012/gail-godwin-13566_angel_i-confess-right-at-the-start-to-the-doub_1782760.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/012/gail-godwin-13566_angel_i-confess-right-at-the-start-to-the-doub_1782760.jpg) > “I confess, right at the start, to the doubts - and sometimes outright dreads - that go with me as I climb the stairs to my study in the morning, coffee mug in hand: I have to admit to the habitual apprehension mixed with a sort of reverence, as I light the incense . . . and wonder: what is going to happen today? Will anything happen? Will the angel come today?” [Gail Godwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-godwin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Morning apprehension mixes reverence and anxiety about the unknown day ahead. **In simple terms:** Morning fear and reverence coexist. Key Takeaway Accept uncertainty and greet the day mindfully. Themes anxiety reverence uncertainty Mood contemplative hopeful Type spiritual personal When to use this quote - daily routine - spiritual practice - creative writing Key Concepts mindfulness ritual existentialism Questions to Reflect On - What does the incense symbolize for you? - How do you transform fear into curiosity? A Different Perspective Rituals may not alleviate deeper dread. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Angel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angel/) [Apprehension](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apprehension/) [Coffee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coffee/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Doubts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubts/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Morning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morning/) [Morning coffee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morning-coffee/) [Reverence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reverence/) [Things happen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-happen/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder/) ## Related quotes > [Given enough coffee I could rule the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/given-enough-coffee-i-could-rule-the-world/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [That was close,"he said, helping himself to coffee. Yeah, you almost opened the door to Morelli." I wasn't talking about Morelli. I was talking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/that-was-close-he-said-helping-himself-to-coffee-yeah-you-almost/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [I'm really conscious of the amount of food I eat, but I don't deny myself anything. For example, I have a really big sweet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/summer-sanders/i-m-really-conscious-of-the-amount-of-food-i-eat-but-i-don-t-deny/) [Summer Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/summer-sanders/) > [I like light green, sometimes red is fun to look at, not a fan of yellow, unless it's in a rainbow or on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kattan/i-like-light-green-sometimes-red-is-fun-to-look-at-not-a-fan-of/) [Chris Kattan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kattan/) > [I've been very lucky. All I wanted was to pay the rent. Then these characters took off and suddenly there were Hulk coffee mugs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/i-ve-been-very-lucky-all-i-wanted-was-to-pay-the-rent-then-these/) [Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/) > [Have faith, Ed, all right?' I search the coffee mug, but there's none in there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/have-faith-ed-all-right-i-search-the-coffee-mug-but-there-s-none-in/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [As long as the "woman's work" that some men do is socially devalued, as long as it is defined as woman's work, as long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlie-russell-hochschild/as-long-as-the-woman-s-work-that-some-men-do-is-socially-devalued-as/) [Arlie Russell Hochschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlie-russell-hochschild/) > [I'm a huge Wonder Woman fan - I have about 12 coffee mugs at home!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kari-wahlgren/i-m-a-huge-wonder-woman-fan-i-have-about-12-coffee-mugs-at-home/) [Kari Wahlgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kari-wahlgren/) > [I have a coffee mug that my dad gave me years ago that has the San Mateo police logo and my dad's name on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-trucco/i-have-a-coffee-mug-that-my-dad-gave-me-years-ago-that-has-the-san/) [Michael Trucco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-trucco/) > [Saiman picked up a coffee mug, stared at it, and hurled it against the wall. It shattered into a dozen pieces. We looked at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/saiman-picked-up-a-coffee-mug-stared-at-it-and-hurled-it-against-the/) [Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/) > [“People were given a choice between receiving a coffee mug or some money, and asked how much money they’d need to choose money over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-were-given-a-choice-between-receiving-a-coffee-mug-or-some/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Ty laughed, a carefree, boyish sound, and glanced to his side, distracted by what he saw. “You moved the rug.” “I kitty-cornered it.” “Why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigail-roux/ty-laughed-a-carefree-boyish-sound-and-glanced-to-his-side-distracted/) [Abigail Roux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abigail-roux/) > [“Alisha sips her coffee. “Well, kids, I only have a few minutes, but I wanted to drop by and see how it was going.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erynn-mangum/alisha-sips-her-coffee-well-kids-i-only-have-a-few-minutes-but-i/) [Erynn Mangum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erynn-mangum/) > [“. . . she jumped to her feet and hurried off, returning only seconds later with a dark brown bottle and a coffee mug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-betts/she-jumped-to-her-feet-and-hurried-off-returning-only-seconds-later/) [Heidi Betts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-betts/) > [“Max's scarred brow crinkled. He reached for the coffee mug on his desk. “Motive is tricky. See, what might be a good reason for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-lanyon/max-s-scarred-brow-crinkled-he-reached-for-the-coffee-mug-on-his-desk/) [Josh Lanyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-lanyon/) ## More by Gail Godwin > [“I contemplated how I was going to get through the rest of the day and felt the onset of a terror I thought I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-godwin/i-contemplated-how-i-was-going-to-get-through-the-rest-of-the-day-and/) [Gail Godwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-godwin/) > [“People commit thousands of small suicides every day that go unnoticed”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-godwin/people-commit-thousands-of-small-suicides-every-day-that-go-unnoticed/) [Gail Godwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-godwin/) > [There are two kinds of people. One kind, you can just tell by looking at them at what point they congealed into their final…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-godwin/there-are-two-kinds-of-people-one-kind-you-can-just-tell-by-looking/) [Gail Godwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-godwin/) > [Something's your vocation if it keeps making more of you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-godwin/something-s-your-vocation-if-it-keeps-making-more-of-you/) [Gail Godwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-godwin/) > [None of us suddenly becomes something overnight. The preparations have been in the making for lifetime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-godwin/none-of-us-suddenly-becomes-something-overnight-the-preparations-have/) [Gail Godwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-godwin/) > [The best antidote I have found is to yearn for something. As long as you yearn, you can't congeal: There is a forward motion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-godwin/the-best-antidote-i-have-found-is-to-yearn-for-something-as-long-as/) [Gail Godwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-godwin/) > [“Other people don’t exist when you’re not with them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-godwin/other-people-don-t-exist-when-you-re-not-with-them/) [Gail Godwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-godwin/) > [I read constantly. If I don't have a good book, I'm beside myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-godwin/i-read-constantly-if-i-don-t-have-a-good-book-i-m-beside-myself/) [Gail Godwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-godwin/) > [Dreams say what they mean, but they don't say it in daytime language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-godwin/dreams-say-what-they-mean-but-they-don-t-say-it-in-daytime-language/) [Gail Godwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-godwin/) > [The characters that I create are parts of myself and I send them on little missions to find out what I don’t know yet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-godwin/the-characters-that-i-create-are-parts-of-myself-and-i-send-them-on/) [Gail Godwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-godwin/) > [During the act of writing I have told myself something that I didn't know I knew.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-godwin/during-the-act-of-writing-i-have-told-myself-something-that-i-didn-t/) [Gail Godwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-godwin/) > [“Yes, if you believed in words, if you lived by words, you had better be careful which words you say and how you say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-godwin/yes-if-you-believed-in-words-if-you-lived-by-words-you-had-better-be/) [Gail Godwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-godwin/) > [I'm always aware that I risk being taken for a neurasthenic prima donna when I explain to someone who wants 'just a little' of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-godwin/i-m-always-aware-that-i-risk-being-taken-for-a-neurasthenic-prima/) [Gail Godwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-godwin/) > [I believe that with enough practice and good faith, you can learn to recognize when the work is achieved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-godwin/i-believe-that-with-enough-practice-and-good-faith-you-can-learn-to/) [Gail Godwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-godwin/) > [If there is such a thing as sin in this world, I think it must be shutting oneself up against hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-godwin/if-there-is-such-a-thing-as-sin-in-this-world-i-think-it-must-be/) [Gail Godwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-godwin/) [Explore all 50 Gail Godwin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-godwin/) ## More Angel quotes > [A man walks down the street. It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the third world. Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [If I wer an angel,i would make all your wishes come true..but I'm only a girl a girl who loves you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nix/if-i-wer-an-angel-i-would-make-all-your-wishes-come-true-but-i-m-only/) [Nix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nix/) > [Peace is the first thing the angels sang. Peace is the mark of the children of God. Peace is the nurse of love. Peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-i/peace-is-the-first-thing-the-angels-sang-peace-is-the-mark-of-the/) [Pope Leo I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-i/) > [“Every child is born as angel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/every-child-is-born-as-angel/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“Behind my eyelids, I saw him dancing in spirals of coloured light, emerald, blue, and brilliant purple, enfolding him like the wings of an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-hall/behind-my-eyelids-i-saw-him-dancing-in-spirals-of-coloured-light/) [Alexis Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-hall/) > [All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/all-that-i-am-or-ever-hope-to-be-i-owe-to-my-angel-mother/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [I don't think people will ever forget I was an 'Angel,' anymore than they'll forget Sally Field was 'The Flying Nun.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-ladd/i-don-t-think-people-will-ever-forget-i-was-an-angel-anymore-than/) [Cheryl Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-ladd/) > [It's a great story for us whenever an entrepreneur makes a crazy amount of money and we get to tell the world about it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/it-s-a-great-story-for-us-whenever-an-entrepreneur-makes-a-crazy/) [Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/) > [I believe in UFOs, I believe in extraterrestrials, and I believe in angels. And maybe they'll protect all of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-maclaine/i-believe-in-ufos-i-believe-in-extraterrestrials-and-i-believe-in/) [Shirley MacLaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-maclaine/) > [Sometimes we have the absolute certainty there's something inside us that's so hideous and monstrous that if we ever search it out we won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-selby-jr/sometimes-we-have-the-absolute-certainty-there-s-something-inside-us/) [Hubert Selby, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-selby-jr/) > [Flowers are the alphabet of angels, whereby they write on the hills and fields mysterious truths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/flowers-are-the-alphabet-of-angels-whereby-they-write-on-the-hills/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [You should never feel lonely, neglected, fearful, or defeated when you remember that there are the shining ones. They are watching with keen interest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flower-a-newhouse/you-should-never-feel-lonely-neglected-fearful-or-defeated-when-you/) [Flower A. Newhouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flower-a-newhouse/) > [Hark the herald angels sing, 'Glory to the new-born king.' Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-wesley/hark-the-herald-angels-sing-glory-to-the-new-born-king-peace-on-earth/) [Charles Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-wesley/) > [Man was created a little lower than the angels and has been getting a little lower ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/man-was-created-a-little-lower-than-the-angels-and-has-been-getting-a/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [Mooner was walking around laying his hands on the cars, divining karma. "this is it", he said, standing by a small khaki-colored jeep."this car…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/mooner-was-walking-around-laying-his-hands-on-the-cars-divining-karma/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) [Browse all 4,625 Angel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angel/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I confess, right at the start, to the doubts - and sometimes outright dreads - that go with me as I climb the stairs to my study in the morning, coffee mug in hand: I have to admit to the habitual apprehension mixed with a sort of reverence, as I light the incense . . . and wonder: what is going to happen today? Will anything happen? 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