To Recline is Sublime

Walking in the front door this morning, I am faced with
      dishes in the sink,
      newspapers scattered across the table,
      shoes in disarray in the corner,
      miscellaneous bike helmets, clothing, hats and recycling,
      blankets strewn across the living room,
      a variety of crumbs on the floor,
      dishes in the living room,
      dirty clothes by the basement steps,
      and no energy.

I sigh. Loudly.
I want to be angry.
I want to sink to the floor and cry.
Why oh why oh why?
Whine.
I sigh. Loudly.

I go upstairs and put on comfortable clothes.
I crawl into bed and check Facebook.
I fall asleep.

Now, it's one o'clock in the afternoon. I am rested, well, kinda rested. The coffee is brewed and I can face the dishes, the clothes, the newspapers, the crumbs. Really, it is amazing what a little sleep can do to put things into a better perspective. So often, I try to do without, thinking I am wasting a day off, when really, I am wasting much more when I am grumpy and complaining all day.

When my kids were small, and not always sleeping well at night, I was missing sleep. Did I do what I tell mothers to do when I am at work? You know, sleep when the baby sleeps? Nope. I got as much done as I could when they slept, and then was still sleep-deprived and grouchy when they were awake.

What about now? When I am tired because of a crazy work schedule, do I ever take time to rest? Actually, I am doing better at this. I used to stay up and sometimes go 24-30 hours without sleep, and now I do lay down for a couple of hours. I decided that I can't let myself feel guilty about this. Well, I try not to feel guilty about it, but truthfully, it's been a long process and I am still not quite there.

When you read any book or article on fitness and wellness, one of the "categories" is always REST. Sleep is vital to a person's wellbeing. Just as important as proper nutrition, exercise, and drinking water.
I need sleep. I need it to be able to cope without melting into a puddle of despair over dirty dishes.

Besides, if I melt, that's just one more mess I need to clean up.

Psalms 3 is from when David was fleeing from his son Absalom and he was dealing with his struggles with his enemies. In verse 5, this is what he says:

I lie down and sleep;

    I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.

Now, I know that I am not fleeing any enemies, but sometimes I do have to deal with my worst enemy...myself. Sleep goes a long with with winning the battle in my mind. After my rest today, I can face what I need to do, maybe even with a cheerful heart and thankful spirit. 

Love,

Dianne