That was my friend Sarah’s response when I told her how good I’ve been feeling lately. I haven’t felt this good in ten and a half years. I have unbelievable (for me) energy; in fact, I’ve been averaging about 5 hours of sleep per night and I’m not at all tired. I feel like I’ve been born anew. My senses are alive, my brain is whirling, I’ve been thinking and writing and listening and feeling — feeling like myself again. Hello, Julie!
Does it sound like I’ve suddenly gone bipolar? No, it’s much simpler than that: my youngest child is in preschool. Three days a week for a total of fifteen, I said fifteen, hours. My god what it means to me to have peace and quiet in my own home for five hours at a time. This isn’t just “great, now I can get stuff done.” This is a really, really huge thing for me. If you aren’t a person who lives in her head and is happiest when alone you won’t get this at all.
My friend Sarah gets it. When she said praise the Lord she was really praising the Lord. I don’t share her faith; my religious beliefs, such as they are, do not include a god who involves himself (herself?) in the affairs of humans at such an intimate level; however, I cannot deny that it was kinda cool to have someone praise the Lord on my behalf. I was very moved, in fact.
10 Comments
I second that.
It sounds wonderful. I completely understand. Currently I just live for naptime.
When I praise the Lord, I just use it as an expression of gratitude for good fortune that I can’t really take credit for. Whether the Lord pays attention or not, or even exists, is much less important (to me).
I feel your joy. 5 whole hours of me-time at one go is so wonderful. Enjoy it.
My youngest just started “early 5′s K” – so I also have fifteen child-free (free!) hours per week. The first few days, I could hardly believe my good fortune, and kept waiting for the phone to ring, a child to get sick (I know that will come soon enough), etc. Then for about a week I scurried around doing errands for the free time. Today I sat and listened to birds and then read for a while and then went down the street and browsed at the library. It was wonderful.
Oh, how I remember that relief, that freedom and yessssss
that expression fits the mark! (I, too, am so far from the literal meaning of that expression, but some phrases really nail the feeling and this does.) Even before preschool, I used “Mom’s Day Out”. (it was only a few hours but wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!)
Love your phraseology: “If you aren’t a person who lives in her head and is happiest when alone you won’t get this at all.” That’s where I live, too…
Hugs (and yes, I’ll reply to your compassionate email{thank you!!!} when the voices inside my head allow me to…)
May you savour each moment of your “alone time” Thanks for stopping by my blog. . .comments are always welcomed when you’re the “new kid on the block” so to speak :)
I can only imagine!
Tell me, do you only need 5 hours’ sleep at night because you’re napping away those 15 new hours? That would most likely be what I’d be doing.
Whatever you’re doing with them, I’m so happy for you that you have them.
I’m so pleased to hear that you’re getting a bit of alone time at last. I love my solitude as well.
Wow. A day that is hard to imagine, for me. What are you doing with that time??
I’m happy for you, blogfriend!