Insomnia is under rated, maybe because in the long run lack of sleep can do so many nasty things to the human body and psyche. But every once in a while, the inability to sleep can be a gift of time that one would otherwise not have.
Many are the mornings when I awake earlier than I need, but instead of accepting the gift of time and doing something with it, I will instead lay in bed, afraid to go back to sleep lest I drift off and miss the alarm and hence be late for all my quotidian activities.
Tell me, do you ever have those times? When I had young children it was usually they who awoke my from my fitful sleep. But with teen and adult children, the restless sleep is usually at the other end of the night.
I have oft envied (yes, I know that envy is a sin) the talent for sleep that I have seen in so many men. Sit them in a rocking chair, or on the couch, or in a recliner, and they will nap peacefully, with an occasional snore escaping. Me, I can only sleep when horizontal (unless heavily drugged or horribly sleep deprived - say awake for greater than 48 hours). No doubt, that inability to sleep upright saved me from some serious trouble the 10 years I worked the 12 hour night shift. But on an airplane or waiting idle in various places, I have wished that sleep was not so elusive.
But here I am. Awake a few minutes before I really must be. This morning we are meeting with our realtor in our new town, in the mid Midwest, to make an offer on a house that God willing, may become our new home.
One of my soon to be colleagues said it well to me in a recent email. "Move is a 4-letter word".
By the way, if you haven't been over there recently, you really should read what Bill Luse has posted over the last week. I am so behind in keeping up with my friends lately that only today did I check out his blog, the first time in a week or so - and once again he has some wonderful content and commentary.
John and I have been talking about our itinerary for our eventual move. We are going to try to arrange it to meet at least a couple of bloggers along the way. Anyone near I-90 between NY and IL who would like to try to connect, drop me a comment or send me an email. We'll be on a tight schedule because we are hauling 3 cats with us, but still it would be nice to be able to put faces to names. We're thinking of trying to hit the Shrine of the North American Martyrs along the first step of the trip.
When I can't sleep sometimes, inexplicably, a person will come to mind and I pray for that person, just in case that may be what the Lord is calling me to do. I say the rosary. A few times, I have found out later that that person was really in need of prayer. At other times, perhaps I'll never know. But always, if I can't sleep, I count it as an opportunity to pray the rosary. It is comforting to me that even these times can be viewed as having a purpose from God. Paradoxically, the thought usually relaxes me so much that I fall asleep.
May God bless your move and all that it entails.
Alicia, I live IN Illinois. Northern Illinios. Maybe I can help you somehow if you are coming to my part of the state?
I have spent many nights wondering if other folks have the same sleep(less) problem & I have also wondered over the years how it is that men sleep so well so thank you for writing about things I wonder about! I've told my children & grandchildren that the Rosary is the best answer to sleeplessness like the first post said...much better than medications! Also wonder how many souls Blessed Mother has helped that way!