If Betty White’s quote is true, I must be really ugly. Last night I slept for twelve hours. This has not been a common occurence for me in some time. Ever since the pandemic began, my sleeping habits have reversed to my life when I was raising a family. During those years, the only time I could actually claim as my own, was when everyone was tucked in bed and fast asleep. I no longer have to reserve time for myself. There’s plenty of it once you’re retired. However, the long period of isolation may have had something to do with filling my mind with old movies and TV shows from the past to keep it occupied on anything but isolation.

When I went to bed last night, I didn’t think about the possibility of not waking up, but when you get to be my age, the odds of that happening become more likely.  When we’re children we pray, “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep.  If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.”  I don’t believe we realize the meaning of that request when we’re young.  Youth makes us feel invincible – that we’ll live forever.  Death isn’t really in our vocabulary when we’re children. 

Each day that we’re allowed to breathe and take up space on this planet is another gift from God.  He gives us this opportunity so we can enjoy His wonderful creation, learn more about Him,  appreciate His blessings,  grow in our walk with Him and to share  His gift of eternal life with others. 

If I believed that there was nothing after this life, I would have no hope.  The average human being in the United States lives to between 77-81 years.  That’s really not a long time when you think about it – especially when you’re approaching 79.  I guess in the latter years of life we really have to get down to business.

Anyway, I’ve lately been able to get by with 7-8 hours of sleep and I’ve heard that when we’re older we require more like ten hours. Maybe that’s to prepare us for our eternal rest. Last night, a pounding headache sent me to the couch at 7:30. I slept and even dreamt about sleeping. I spent hours in my dreams trying to fold a fitted sheet. In fact an old friend was showing me how to do so in such a way that I could bounce it off the wall once it was folded. The dreams continued as I envisioned a bed laden with hundreds of mattresses covering a little pea, which completely disturbed my princess sleep. I’ve been known to have some weird dreams, but this was the first time they followed a particular theme. Maybe I’m starting a whole new phase of my creative thinking process. Maybe I have an overactive muse. Maybe I was just plain tired.

There are times when we simply need to escape to sleep – to ponder the things we’re troubled about – to find answers for particular problems (like that fitted sheet issue,) – to catch up on needed rest after expending a lot of phisical energy – to forget the problems of life for a little while. In any event, I’m awake now, after twelve hours of sleep. Look out world. Here I come.

“Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace.” Victor Hugo