I slept on my couch last night for the first time. Of course, I’ve dozed off there before, but this time it was intentional. It was a warm, humid night and I wanted to be in the back of my house to avoid hearing the garbage trucks in the early morning. It had been a late night.
The first thing I noticed was the overwhelming sound of the crickets – they were crazy loud. When I opened my eyes to look out the sliding glass doors, the view pleased me. It was shadowy, with leafy branches and a dark gray sky promising rain. The scene was very different from what I see when I look through my bedroom windows in the front of my house and I felt the difference in vantage point might be just what I needed.
During the night the rain moved in. Finally. I was cozy with my sheet and cashmere robe, which doubled as a luxurious throw, and I kept my eyes firmly shut as I imagined the rain washing away the anxieties and doubts that have been muddying my waking hours. The nearness of the rain felt ever so close and somehow intimate. I welcomed it.
I can’t say it was the most restful night of sleep in my life, as I awoke repeatedly, but I feel as if I learned a few things from the night spent out of my bed.
1. Listen to what you hear and allow it soothe and inspire you
2. A change in vantage point sometimes can be precisely what you need
3. The comforts of a crisp cotton sheet and your favorite robe can make a foreign sleeping spot feel familiar.
4. While I prefer my firm mattress to the too short sofa, it is nice to remain aware of life’s options. Always.
DelSo 