Another Glorious Day

The other morning I was laying in bed wondering why I was on the edge of the bed. The answer of course is that Louise was on the other edge of the bed and our dog was sprawled across the middle. Well, at least one of us was comfortable.

I sleep on the left hand side of the bed and have done so since Louise and I first moved in together. I don’t know why, but I suspect at the time Louise made an executive decision and we have stuck on the side we started with. Louise may have picked the right side because it was closer to the bathroom or she may have picked the right side so I would be able to get out of bed without disturbing her. The only way to find out for sure would be to go back in time to that first night and since I don’t remember an old man standing in the corner, it just didn’t happen.

The odd time when Louise has been away for a night or two, I have had the opportunity to change positions. I could have slept in the middle or I could have slept on the right side where Louise usually does. Instead, I slept on the edge like I always do. The up side is that Buster moves over to the right-middle of the bed and I get a little extra room. Even when I take one of my afternoon power naps, I am on the left side edge. Strange.

I guess that after all of these years I would find it difficult to sleep any other way. I generally wake up either watching Louise while she sleeps or looking at the window wall to judge if the sun is up yet. It is a pretty safe bet that the sun has more sense than I do, at least in the winter time.

Those first few moments in the morning while I am trapped between sleep and awake, I try to recapture those elusive dreams that are disappearing like fog in the sunshine. Next I think about what I would like to do during the coming hours of wakefulness. Most of what I contemplate never gets done, but it is good to have a plan. I think about projects that need to be done and some that I want to do.

Mostly though, I look at Louise. I will watch her sleep, listen to her breathe and if I am lucky, I get to see her dream. Sometimes she is happy, sometimes she is frightened and sometimes she is angry. I hope that she isn’t angry with me. I have been watching her sleep for a long time now and she is always lovely when she is asleep. She is at peace and probably dreaming some of those weird dreams she dreams.

I dread the day I wake up and there is no one to watch while they are asleep. There would be no one on the other edge of the bed, no one’s breathing to listen to and no one to share the coming hours with. The other morning I felt alone in the bed. I was staring at the wall and watching as the sun filtered through the shade. I couldn’t feel the dog against my back and I didn’t hear anyone breathing. I was afraid to turn over. What if years had passed and I found myself all alone? I’ve never been alone…ever.

I heard a soft snort and knew that everything in my life was just fine for another glorious day.