Snow Melt

In the Moments Before I go to Sleep

The March 16, 2013 prompt for "Blogging Circle of Friends Prompt Forum"  is
Write about what you think about that moment before you go to sleep.

I preparation for bed, or in my case the couch I sleep on, I put one drop of the prescription eye drops in each eye. I then notice where I laid my glasses, not that this helps finding them in the morning, make sure my cell phone, prayer book, loose leaf notebook, and ballpoint pen are within easy reach. Then I decide whether I want to lay down on the couch facing east or west, it does not matter which way I face because I will be facing the opposite direction before morning.

In the moments before I go to sleep,
I intone God's Most Great Name
and then
I wrap myself in the blanket
of His Glory.

About one or two hours latter, I wake up and check my cell phone to see what time it is. If it is close to midnight, which it usually is not the first time I wake up, then I open my prayer book and say the midnight prayer; otherwise I say another prayer. Then I decide whether or not I want to face the opposite direction on the couch. After that, if I am still not sleepy I say another prayer.

In the moments before I go to sleep,
I listen to the noises of the house:
Do are those footsteps in the attic?
Why is the neighbor's dog barking?
Do I hear a Siamese cat in season?
Is that a siren or a banshee I hear?
Are those gunshots echoing?
Is that thunder or a fighter jet rumbling?
Why is this neighborhood so noisy?

In the moments before I go to sleep,
I say a prayer
and then
I wrap myself in the quilt
of divine protection.

At 66 sleeping straight through the night is not easy and sometimes impossible. It is less painful for me to sleep on a couch or a love seat then it is in a bed or on a mattress. Sometimes I wake up only once and some times I wake up every one or two hours. As I have said before, growing old is not for wimps nor is it for anyone who enjoys sleeping, at least all the way through the night.

Food for Thought: "The young and the restless eventually become the old and the sleepless." ~ Author Unknow