I read sometimes you wake up early and can’t get back to sleep just like me. You ever hear it called the Witching Hour, that time around 4:00 am? My husband’s Grandma said the Witching Hour is bad enough by itself without adding to it. It’s too early to be awake unless there’s cows to milk or babies to feed. But it is a terrible time to decide that things were bleak, because they would be at that time with or without you thinking about them, especially since you share the hour with the ghost of every other woman who has been up at the hour casting about for the strength to go on. So that’s not the time to decide the cough you have really is cancer so you should just go walk away barefoot in the snow. The time to think about your life is after you have breakfast in you and you can be at your best. Anyway that’s what she said. I don’t know why I’m telling you this only that I’ve had my share of being awake at the Witching Hour and feeling like I just wanted to sob my heart out only I didn’t want to wake the kids. Instead I started doing what you do. I get up, sneak down to the living room and curl up with a good book. The wisdom of good writers has brought me more comfort than ruminating ever did. And I try to remember to say a prayer for those ghosts, those sisters by another mother.
Read don’t ruminate
Beth Ann Childs