Nightly Ritual

Before I go to bed every night, I check on my boys. I have done this ever since Christian was a baby. I sneak into their rooms and look over them. I make sure their blankets are on them and I kiss them on the cheek. I thank God for bringing them into our lives, and I say goodnight. There have been nights where I don't do it. When I hear them stirring and I don't want to go in and wake them. Or, when I'm sick and just need to drag myself to bed. On the nights when I don't do it, I miss it. It's part of my routine, and I just love watching them sleep. They always look so peaceful and content, and that makes me happy. This ritual is especially important to me after I have had a difficult day with them. When they are trying my patience and I feel like I'm at my wits end. I can see them sleeping and be reminded of how blessed I am to have them, and that even though we struggle sometimes, there is not a moment that goes by that I wish I wasn't their mother.

My ritual has started to include another part, where I then look out the windows of our guest room and stare into the night. I relish in the silence of the night, the quiet of the neighborhood, and I feel at peace. I look at the homes across the street and I wonder what is going on inside. Are they sleeping? Are they perhaps lying awake because of some turmoil in their lives? Are they tossing and turning because of worry? I only ponder these questions about my neighbors because I know that once I lay my head on my pillow, I may not fall asleep right away. I may worry, I may toss and turn, or I may just drift off to sleep. I notice the landscape of the neighborhood and I notice how the seasons have changed in my guest room window view- from fall to winter, and soon to spring. And then I am quickly reminded of how the time is passing by.....

Dear God, thank you for today. Amen.