Last night was my first night at home in Toronto in a couple months and it was glorious.
I had the soundest sleep I've had in a long time. It's probably due to the fact that I was able to sleep in without worrying about any pesky exams or classes, but the fact that I'm lucky enough to have a really good bed probably helped a lot too.
My bed is not only for sleeping in though. It has become a multi-purpose tool for me over the years. At times it becomes a study lounge, where I heap my books and my computer around me like a little academic fort, a fort with a comfy floor to sit on and cushy head rests.
My bed has also transformed into a movie theatre or concert venue on occasion. I sit down, get under my sheets and watch a good movie on a rainy day or just lie down, turn on some music and zone out.
My bed also works as a park bench at times. I can sit on it, bask in the glow of the sun pouring in through my window and have a nice chat with someone over the phone or Skype.
So I am grateful for my bed. I am grateful that I am fortunate enough to have a great bed that provides me with amazing sleeps. I am grateful that my bed functions as much more than just a place to nap, but also somewhere where I catch up with friends or just cheer myself up with a good comedy on a dreary day. My bed may not be King size, but it sure feels big enough for me.
Today I was sitting in VIP box seats, complete with a buffet and a hot tub, watching the Stanley Cup finals. And then my alarm clock woke me up.
Was I mad? A little, but mostly I was happy because dream-world finger foods and sporting events are fun, but not really worth missing an exam for. Usually the snooze button puts me back into a blissful sleep, but last night I had set two alarms, one minute apart, so this wouldn't happen. And so I was able to get up and get ready for my exam without rushing around like a crazy man.
Alarm clocks show a little tough love and that is why they are so great. They do the job that everyone dreads and that is waking up a perfectly content sleeping person so that they can face what ever the day has in store for them, good or bad. I have found that many a great and adventurous day has begun with the sound of the radio wakening me from my slumber or the annoying sound of my phone alarm boring itself into my brain.
Alarm clocks have the unenviable job of shaking people free of their dreams and some times pay the price for it from angry fists slamming the clock until they find the snooze button. Although in the end alarm clocks are like nagging parents: they may seem unfair, demanding and even cruel at times, but in the end you know that they are well meaning in their intentions.
So I am grateful for alarm clocks and for the way they get me up to face the real world, with real obstacles and lessons and rewards. I am grateful for the people who makes alarm clocks. I am grateful that my alarm clock helped me pass my exam because no matter how much I study, if I don't get to school on time I'm sunk. Every day and every journey must start somewhere and most mornings my adventures start with my alarm clock calling me to action.
