Sunday, June 08, 2008

Morning musings

Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleave of care
The death of each day's life, sore labour's bath
Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course,
Chief nourisher in life's feast.
~William Shakespeare, Macbeth

It's amazing to me how broken sleep can completely turn your life upside down. And conversely, sleeping just a couple hours more, without waking, makes all of life's little hardships so much easier to take.

People who say they sleep like a baby usually don't have one.
~Leo J. Burke

Friday night, Jason and I spent the hour from 2 am to 3 am soothing a coughing little boy and catching & cleaning up his regurgitated dinner. Poor little guy just couldn't catch his breath. After remaking his bed and calming him down, we went back to bed and listened to him through the wall for another hour. The next morning, I felt like death. Jason stayed home from work to help out and allow me to recover a bit.

A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book.
~Irish Proverb

Saturday night, we all slept clear through until 7 am. I still have the cold that descended upon me yesterday, but somehow, it's not bothering me a bit. The kids and I are smiling and having a muffin picnic ("hicnic" in Georgie terminology) in the living room, and Jason rode his bike to work.

Insomnia is a gross feeder. It will nourish itself on any kind of thinking, including thinking about not thinking.
~Clifton Fadiman

Isn't it incredible though, the thoughts you think in the dark hours of the morning? Problems that could be solved in five minutes during the daylight take at least an hour to mull over and stress about at night. Even my minimal "to do" list that I have running on a continual loop through my mind becomes a hamster wheel spinning out of control at night. Why the need to return books to the library is so stress-inducing at 3 am, I really don't know.

If people were meant to pop out of bed, we'd all sleep in toasters.
~Author unknown, attributed to Jim Davis

With our brains and bodies refreshed, I'd say today is a good day to get outside a bit, take those books back to the library, and refill the cough medicine prescription. Happy Sunday everyone!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sleep has been the bane of my existence my whole life; hated that I had to "waste" time doing it so often. I worked for years trying to refine methods to avoid it as much as possible. And when I really needed it, often, insomnia was inevitable. ...Until retirement! Somehow, I have effectively granted myself a pass to "waste time," which includes sleeping. What a concept! It's great stuff -- does all those healing, nurturing things they say about it! And... I'm starting to get good at it!

Sharon said...

Ugh - you poor thing. Nothing worse than not enough sleep (and not being able to get to sleep)

Pam said...

I hope tonight is a better night, and little boy is feeling better. Love the quotes, especially the toaster one! I am no good first thing in the mornings!

Dave said...

Yeesh; sorry to hear about that night. I have become reasonably adept over the last couple of stressful years at disengaging my brain to allow me to go back to sleep, but a sick child trumps all. Best of luck for healing for all of you.

But what really jumps out at me is: Jason rode his bike to work? Is that meant to imply he's going to ride it home, too? At this point in my life (and waistline), that hill frightens me.