5:30am
The first reminder that the day is new comes from the tune of an alarm alongside my bed.
“Ugh,” I muffle, as I burrow deeper into my bedding. My husband still sound asleep.
Snooze #1.
A snooze is 9 minutes. Precisely. A few snoozes are in store for this morning as the night before brought parent/teacher conferences until 8:00 pm. It seemed I just left school and here my alarm was blaring that I needed to go back.
“No worries,” I calm myself, as I begin planning my outfit in my mind. A black pair of pants hang in my closet and a sweater on my shelf, both, I know are clean. They might not even require ironing. Ten minutes is saved right there. Dreamland calls me back to paradise.
5:39 am
Already. I thought I’d just hit that snooze. Geez. I’m not getting up yet. There’s plenty of time. I don’t need to be at school at 7:00 am today. I’m giving myself a break. I’m pretty convincing to myself.
Snooze #2.
Rolling over, my husband stirs, unshaken by the alarms and my snoozes. I wrap my arm around him and dig underneath his fleece army blanket that he prefers to sleep beneath. My own coverings of quilts I push off. Each of us have contrasting preferences for nighttime blankets. I need heaviness and he, light.
“You are wrapped up in there like Fort Knox,” he teases at night when I get ready for bed.
School dreams take me away this time. My third graders are at gym and I can’t find the way there.
5:48am
Again. Is there any way I can stretch the snoozes to be longer?
“Why don’t you just set your alarm for later?” my husband frequently asks, trying to remedy my problem.
“Because. I like to have some warnings,” I profess. “Snoozes give me a chance to feel like I get extra sleep.”
The snooze button is tapped again. I snuggle back up to my husband, who is cool to the touch.
“Aren’t you cold? You need more covers,” I mother him.
He ignores me and continues to slumber. His scent of clorine from swimming takes me back to high school, he on the swim team and I, his girl friend.
Snooze #3.
6:24am
The alarm frustrated by now. The spring sky growing lighter.
“I have to get up,” I whisper to my husband.
“What? Just five more minutes,” as he rolls over to wrap his arm around me.
Easily swayed, “I guess I don’t need to wash my hair today. I washed it yesterday,” I remind myself . A benefit of long hair.
Snooze #9. Seriously.
6:33am
Oh for Pete’s Sake.
“I have to go,” I urge my husband.
“Just one more snooze,” he begs.
I smile.
He really has no idea what time it is and how many snoozes have gone by, not needing to be at work until 8:00.
Gone are the years of babies and night time feedings, waking children for daycare or dressing and feeding kids for school. No longer are teenagers blaring music at night or sneaking in the door in the early morning hours. Empty nesters, we play this game now. Who can stay in bed the longest and still get to work? (Still following our rule that if you are not there early, you’re late.)
This place.
I am grateful we made it to this place in our marriage. The “children years” test every aspect of a marriage and when the offspring take wing, a couple is weary and sometimes decide to trail off on their separate paths. We persevered.
This place.
The morning snuggles with legs intertwined and rhythmic breathing. I’m sure this is what heaven is like. I whisper to God, thanking Him for mornings. . . and my husband. . . and his love.
And snooze buttons.
Islands of My Soul 
Absolutely loved your post. You combined a creative structure with a realistic picture of morning procrastination. The ending, when I realized you, too, are an empty-nester really touched me. There is much to savor when you reach this place in your marriage! Count on me to read your posts regularly during this month-long challenge. Rita K.
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Awe, thank you, Rita. Empty nesting is a beautiful place to be. Especially when you can share it with a man you have spent most of your life with. Thank you so much for taking time to read my post. 🙂
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I love snooze buttons too! I set my alarm very early because I also relish being able to lie in bed long after the alarm goes off – I consider it a luxury. Nice slice today!
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Yay! A fellow snoozer!! I know that I lose a good solid hour of sleep with all of my snoozes, but I think it is worth it. 🙂 Thank you for reading!
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I get it. And what a wonderful description of how it feels to be empty nesters. Thank you!
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I love this post too! I feel like I got to know so much about your life already from this one slice- the grade you teach, your husband was a swimmer, your kids are older now…..lots of details interwoven into a narrative with so much voice. Looking forward to more of your Slices!
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I love the structure of this piece! The line ‘ I’m giving myself a break. I’m pretty convincing to myself.” is so true.
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I can relate. My husband works out of town during the week. My absolute favorite thing is when we finally get to bed and he wraps his arms around me. First child leaves this fall and youngest in two years. Not quite ready for the empty nest yet but your post gives me hope it has perks. 🙂
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Hello fellow snoozer! This snooze button pushing is a favorite sport of mine as well. How can I push it to the limit and still be to work on time, which for me still includes getting kids ready and out the door as well. Great story – I look forward to more this month!
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Beautiful, beautiful. And so bare. We so often hear of the painful parts of empty nesting – this has hope and calm.
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I find so much to connect to in your honest post. Yes, snooze buttons! My husband didn’t even know they existed until he met me and rues the day I introduced them! Snooze buttons and so much more, the inner competition, the outward show of affection. You capture so much in this morning routine. Thank you!
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What a lovely slice! I can never allow myself a snooze, because I am sure then I might never get up! Your writing had me there with you- fighting yourself to squeeze in a few extra minutes in bed. Sounds like all is well there! I love the setup of using the time on your clock.
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This post makes me smile. We play that snooze button game too! There’s something nice about being at this stage in life when we can enjoy those few extra moments in the morning. 🙂
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Shari, this lovely depiction of a long lasting, blissful marriage is so beautifully raw. I so enjoyed every morsel of your post. I, too, enjoy these moments with my husband. We are so blessed. Thank you for posting this!
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I am not a ‘snooze’ user, but I love the idea of ‘this place’. Our daughter is in 1st grade so we still have a way to go!
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