Napping, one of the greatest joys in life. I had forgotten about the wonderfulness of a nap, because, in all honesty, I can't remember the last time I took one! I was reading an article in a magazine about the virtues of napping and it all came back to me. I have always treasured a nap, a little sneak of a sleep. When Wolfie was born, I made a solemn vow to nap when he napped. It made all the difference in the world to this old Mama's over-taxed brain and body. Then Vladdie came, and naptime became a battle-- Trying to discern exactly the right moment that two children on different developmental schedules might possibly be coaxed into falling asleep. Two boys that had way too much to do to possibly fall asleep.
I began to think back in my napping history to some of my most famous naps. Ones that practically make me drool just thinking about them today. I can remember as a little girl, sleeping on a Saturday, while my Grandmother's vacuum hummed from the reaches of the house. Light streaming in through yellow gingham curtains while the little dust sparkles, kicked up by Grandma's cleaning, no doubt, twinkled in the beam. I remember feeling peaceful and right with the way everything was and drifting off to sleep in my great big bed.
I remember sneaking into the library, the cool air conditioned library of my high school. I would find an empty bottom shelf, somewhere hidden, and put my purse in place as a pillow, sleeping in that little nook all afternoon. I like to imagine that the librarian knew I was there, but wished she could do the same, and let me sleep, sleep, sleep.
I remember back in the days when having a tan meant you were "healthy", laying out in the sun, damp enough to sizzle in the heat. Feeling the rays bake my skin while listening to America's Top 40. A beach towel over a plastic chaise lounge chair and the smell of Hawaiin Tropics in the air.
I remember playing hooky when I got my 1970's era Impala, a boat of a car, with bench seats that were so long, I could lay out fully across them and still have room. A detour on the way to school on a beautiful spring day found me in the Metroparks, in an area more like a forest than a park. I opened the windows, stretched out, covered up and slept for hours with the sunlight playing through the leaves of the heavy trees.
I longingly recall the times I spent near Lake Erie on a Saturday afternoon. Jasmine was old enough to play with her friends unsupervised, so I laid out a blanket under a big old tree on top of a hill overlooking the lake. I read, meditated and drifted off to the sound of the water lapping at the beach, children playing and a breeze blowing just enough to keep the temperature perfect.
That brings me to the days of trying , sometimes for hours to get the boys to nap at the same time so that I might get a sliver of rest too. It was like wrestling them to sleep, terrible, yet wonderful once I finally succeeded. I laid in that bed, all of us together and relished it, truly relished it. I felt compelled by the deliciousness of it to write this at the time:
A Family Naps
The fan hums,
the music box lullaby trudges dutifully on
tethering restless minds to drowsy pillows.
Tangled.
like a nest of puppies.
Feet touching hips, knocking knees, locking elbows, mussing hair.
While wisps of words are mumbled like peeks
through a keyhole into their dreams.
sleeping...
Finally,
Fitfully,
Fleetingly.
Oh to nap again, someday, I tell myself. When I am less needed, less busy. Then I will sneak off for another nap of epic proportions. I swoon just thinking about it! What are your favorite napping memories?
This one is Jasmine coaching me during labor!
