The Sleep Of The Night Owl

Even with daytime sleep and daily vigilance, it takes days to recover from stretches of overnights. And so, along with my turkey and stuffing, I have dined on early bedtimes and afternoon naps. And after a few days of stone-like sleep, I begin to wake in the night. And after a few days of dozing in the daylight, I make it through nap-free. I guess my body is saying "I've recovered now."

Am I ever ready to go back to regular life, whether that life involves overnights or not? Is enough sleep ever really enough? Is diversion ever really enough of a break from normalcy? Probably not, on all counts. But I guess, no matter what our "regular life" is, our "not regular life" depends on it. It's not just about funding the days off and the trips away and the activities done. It is about what it is that we're taking a break from. If we didn't have routine, breaks in routine wouldn't be nearly as important--or enjoyable. If we didn't have "normal," out of the ordinary wouldn't matter so much.

So, I give thanks for the time to have banked some sleep. And I suppose I give thanks for the signs saying I have banked enough, at least for the moment. And I prepare to return to "normal," giving thanks, I suppose, for having "normal" to go back to.