Slight bump in the kitchen, a dish is set on the counter, footsteps are tippy-toed around the dining room… My eyes open and I am tired. I could simply rollover and go back to sleep. Footsteps and small noises continue. My eyes open again. I should go say goodbye to my husband before he goes to work. He is a master at rising without waking me. That’s it, I’m getting up! I step into the hallway and see the clock – 9:30 am. Dang! He has been gone for two hours. My daughter-in-law is standing in the kitchen with her tea.

Sleeping nearly 12 hours can be exasperating. I make the most of every moment in my life because I have 2-4 hours less time each day. One might think, “Just get up earlier.” If my body insists on sleep, it means it and when I do not obey, I pay. Payment includes weakness, fatigue, inability to focus or stay on task, renewal of symptoms in remission and enhancement of current issues.

Image from www.mixcloud.com.