Kia ora Koutou,
I have rediscovered the delight of hot cocoa.
At some stage during the night I always have to get up and go to the bathroom so after washing my hands, instead of being irritated that I’ve had to wake up, its much easier to make cocoa, maybe grab a couple of biscuits while you’re at it, go back to the bedroom, sip and munch.
I turn the lights out early at the end of the day partly because my eyes are sore but partly because all my life (that I can remember) I’ve liked to lie awake in the dark for a little while before going to sleep — time to mull over the day’s events, think about some of them, plan others … nowadays think about my progress (or not) with an idea for writing … go over various scenarios, possibilities, whether to introduce a new character or to save them for another time, whether to get rid of a character entirely. If I have health or other anxieties I use other times to think about them.
I never actually planned this pattern, it just happened and it works.
After this review of my life at that time, unless I was sick or worried or unhappy, I used to sleep right through the night and always got irritated when that didn’t happen but now I more or less expect it so if I add a little treat into the mix it becomes enjoyable. If you can’t beat ‘em, have a party is a good rule and the irritations of having to get up in the middle of the night vanish immediately. It becomes more of a lead into a treat rather than a nuisance.
So now, when I go to sleep and then wake up because nature calls, the thought of a nice hot cup of cocoa is very appealing. A treat in fact — a little party for me and whoever else I want to join me in my head, fictional or real. It’s a time for changing things too. If you haven’t liked the outcome of a story in someone else’s book you can just change it, they will never know and besides, nothing is set in stone, you can play around with ‘what if?’ as much as you like. You can plan a treat, you can go shopping and the assistant will be pleased to see you even though he has to move from his position and show you something over in the far corner.
You can be anyone you like, slip into anyone’s story, change it, make them happy. You can turn the radio on and know someone else in the world is awake and working to inform, interest, amuse or please you.
When you return the empty mug to the sink, run some water in it, visit the bathroom again, wash your hands, go back to bed, you’ve had your bedtime story so you put the light out and go back to sleep smiling.
Renée
