"Finish each day
before you begin the next, and interpose a solid wall of sleep between
the two. This you cannot do without temperance."  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I have always been a good sleeper. I can usually settle right down between the covers and begin a gentle breathing that takes me into the Land of Nod. But lately I have been having wakeful middle of night bouts with thoughts left unfinished, words spoken too quickly, work that hangs in a suspended bubble above what should be my restful body. Everyone has these times. Or at least I find comfort in the thought that this is not a 'gift' being given to only me.

Last night was such a night. At 4:00 a.m. I woke and felt wide awake. At first I tried to make myself lay there and go back into some form of sleep. But after only a few minutes I asked myself why I was doing this. The anxiety that probably woke me only compounded and created an anxiety about not being able to sleep.

So instead I got up and came downstairs and spent a considerable time looking at the glorious, bright moon shining on our street. How peaceful our neighborhood looked bathed in such light! I felt blessed to be present to it. Then I sat down and wrote some notes I had been meaning to write. With the quiet of the house surrounding me, I found the words came easily. I was able to give the time and attention to these letters that I would not have found in the middle of the day. I labored over the right words to express my pride, my gratitude and my enthusiasm. Again, this all felt like a gift of time.

Sleep is important. With recent research we know this to be true. People who sleep well have healthier hearts, lower blood pressure,longer lives. But every once in a while it is good to be awake when the world is sleeping. You get a different perspective. Your house seems cozier. Your neighborhood can look like a Norman Rockwell painting. Those who have had children are reminded of the middle of night feedings that brought such quiet, nurturing moments of bliss.

Sometime this afternoon I may not feel the same about this experience of waking so early. But for now I plan to walk out my door as if I have one up on the rest of those who slept a full eight hours. I plan to carry the light of the moon that shone on my nocturnal wanderings with me as I do the mundane things this day will hold. I will try to carry the glow that fell on our ordinary street and all the ordinary houses. I will cherish the words given to me in the dark of night, glad that I have passed them on through the inspiration of midnight oil.

And hopefully tonight I will rest like a baby……unless the moon wakes me once again for more quiet work.