(Sounds Like: NIN – Every Day Is Exactly The Same)
Granny was ready for bed by 8 pm. Longing for the soft, but not too soft, mattress, the clean scented sheets, the fluffy duvet. She had to force herself to wash any lingering dirty dishes, fold any neglected items still in the dryer, check the door locks and cut off all the lights when all the while, all she could think about was that sweet, safe haven she imagined her double bed to be.
Thoughts about waking up every two or three hours never crossed her mind. Her thoughts were focused on keeping those heavy eyelid open long enough to have a steamy hot shower. To brush her teeth was debatable, two whole minutes of up and down and back and forth, two whole minutes? Is it possible to fall asleep standing up? Yes, it is.
And then into the warm and comfortable haven, at last. A little reading before sleep. Careful to never have a big, heavy, hardback book so as to avoid the bonk in the face when it falls when she dozes. Instead, a nice, light, and well lit kindle, propped to the side, and hopefully a page or two before the sandman arrives.
But then comes 1 am, 3 am, and the required trips to the bathroom. If the angels are watching, sleep returns quickly. Back to the dreams, the disturbances, the reflections of all the events of the day. Stormy, threatening, and scary; they are the sources of night sweats. The tossing and turning because Granny is too old and too physically challenged to sleep on her tummy anymore – a reluctant side sleeper who is never quite perfectly comfortable.
At last it’s 5am and without an alarm Granny snaps wake up. Time to get up and that is a challenge, too. The back ache, the sore shoulders, the mild headache, the stopped up nose, and worst of all: the stiff legs that protest as she swings them out and attempts to stand. There are half hearted attempts to stretch, remnants from her Qi Gong days. Nonetheless she shuffles.
Granny was ready for coffee. The automatic pot already had it made for her. The smell stimulated her taste buds and propelled her forward shuffle. Yummy, what deliciousness. Time to start another day.
