requiem for a nap

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I loved you truly, madly, deeply for three and a half years.

And now you’ve abandoned me.

It wasn’t an abrupt breakup, not the kind that knocks the wind out of your chest by its utter shock and surprise. No, you snuck away slowly over time. Disappeared for a day or two, then returned again, feigning faithfulness, smiling slyly as you assured me you’d stick around this time.

But as the weeks wound by, you grew more and more distant till you slipped away completely, only a fleeting glimpse of the stranger we once knew. And your leaving for good was just as harsh, just as cruel as any heartbreak I’ve ever wailed to mourn.

I’m left to learn how to live without you.

I tried to fling myself at the imposters and suitors that sometimes sauntered round to fill your void: Catnap, Car Nap, Quiet Time. But none of them could take your place, the beautiful hours of sweet silence we used to share together.

Oh, Nap. Dear beloved Nap. You were my standby, my stalwart, my savior. Some days, you were my everything.

So what now? How do I fill the ache left by your absence?

Each afternoon we mourn your loss, each in our own way. I whine to anyone who will listen; he wails and whimpers to the four walls of his bedroom where he’s been banished, where he waits without your soothing presence.

ALL DONE! he laments in loud protestation.

Me, too, sighs my sanity. Me, too.

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3 Comments

  1. Claire on 21 February 2013 at 4:06 pm

    I feel your pain Laura! I milked naptime as long as I could, and was devastated when my son gave it up completely at age 4.5.

    • Laura @ Mothering Spirit on 21 February 2013 at 10:43 pm

      Oh Claire, I’m jealous you made it another year! We’ve decreed there will be mandatory rest every afternoon until kindergarten in this house…mama needs a break more than anyone!

      • Claire on 22 February 2013 at 6:24 am

        Well, when he turned 4 the naps weren’t guaranteed anymore. First he would nap maybe 75% of the time, then 50% of the time, then 25% of the time, and then I gave up. We did Quiet Time for a while, but he would always get into things upstairs and drive me crazy. Thankfully, my husband’s work schedule changed and he now gets home around 2:30 in the afternoon (because he starts work at 6 am). So he and I take turns taking a break in the afternoon. I agree that the break is so important! Also, I hate the fact that bedtime is now earlier due to the lack of a nap. It’s really annoying if we have company or go to someone’s house for dinner, and we have to scramble to get him to bed close to his regular bedtime. When he napped, his bedtime was 8:30, and that was so much more manageable.



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