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‘Twas the Night Before…
“What is that sound?” I mumbled to myself while rolling over in bed this morning, searching for the source of the noise. As I turned toward my night table I realized the sound was growing in intensity. It was then that I realized the noise was my gentle alarm playing sweet sounds to awake me on this first morning of school. The alarm sounded foreign to me because it was the first time I had heard that melody since the last day of school in June. I had tossed and turned most of the evening checking the time fearing that my alarm clock would fail me on this important day, first at 2:33 a.m., then at 3:45 a.m., and finally at 4:42 a.m. So when I was in a deep slumber at 5:32 when the alarm rang I realized my first day jitters were at work creating havoc with my sleep once again. These first day jitters are nothing new to me causing loss of sleep since my earliest recollection.
When I was younger these jitters manifested itself in nightmares about missing the bus. I still recall waking in a heavy sweat after dreaming about my unfruitful chases after the bus flying past my house and down the hill as I frantically waved my arms and yelled “Hey! I’m right here!” As I grew into middle, high school and even into college, the first day of school dreams changed to losing my locker combination, struggling with the numbers in the dial, either not recalling my combination order or forgetting the numbers all together, leaving me unable to open that metal door to access my much needed supplies.
I am grateful those nightmares no longer keep me from sleeping these first anxious nights before school begins. However apparently my first day jitters manifest themselves in other ways causing me sleeplessness as the big day approaches. Despite these night before jitters, I always managed to succeed in catching my bus, opening my locker, and waking on time to make that first day one of great success.
As I begin this year filled with new challenges to grow, stretch, and learn, I feel hopeful that regardless of these first day jitters, and lack of sleep, everything will turn out just fine!