Two Hours, Seventeen Minutes

I walked in the door at 6:30am, after one of a long string of overnight shifts. No kids to wake for school, no lunches to prepare, and within moments, I was asleep on the couch. For exactly two hours, seventeen minutes. Awakened by a child in search of office supplies, I arose from what had been an enormously deep sleep, and I barely sat or lay down again for the next thirteen hours.

As I write about it, I am exhausted. How is it that I could get through a day, after being up all night, on just two hours, seventeen minutes of sleep? How is it that I could walk miles and accomplish errands and laugh with my kids on just two hours, seventeen minutes?

The two hours, seventeen will surely catch up with me. But on a day when there was much to do, and life to embrace, two hours, seventeen minutes was enough. Enough to build a bridge between work and home, enough to clear the eyes and the head and recharge the feet. Enough to make me ready to face and manage and enjoy the day ahead of me.

We may all strive for our straight eight or our luxurious eleven or even our standard six. But sometimes, if the day is right, two hours, seventeen minutes is just enough.