Worth Staying Up For

We’re still in that time of year when the sun sets early, and the chill in the air inspires early evenings with a good book under a blanket.

This presents a challenge for me at times, however, as I could easily go to sleep at that early hour – and my circadian rhythm is such that I either wake up after a certain amount of time, or as the sun rises – whichever comes first.

So if I go to sleep early, I am rising before the sun… not ideal when I desire to be functional the next day. Likewise, when I stay up too late, the solar wake-up call denies me my preferred duration of rest. There is, therefore, that sweet spot of starting my slumber.

This is where I benefit from having friends and hobbies, with whom I can spend these evening hours. On those evenings when my eyelids are drooping far too early, a conversation with a friend can maintain consciousness until a reasonable hour for my sleep pattern.

There are times, delightfully, when these conversations and shared times extend beyond the ideal; thereby cutting into my sleep-time.

These, however, are worth staying up for. For while rest is important – so too is recreation. Just as the body needs rest, the soul needs re-creation. These two components are meant to be in balance for our own well-being. 

And so spending time in safe and comfortable companionship is a form of both rest and recreation; it restores who we are and how we can be. So I remain grateful for the mornings with yawns that follow late evenings of laughter, for these mean I have celebrated the wholeness of myself with the great gift of good friends.

And good friends – that gift from God – are always worth staying up for.