Time and Sleep

On Wednesday afternoon, she jumped into the pool with a swim vest.

By Wednesday evening, she was swimming without the vest.

On Thursday morning, she kept swimming without the vest,

And suddenly she was able to do flips in the water.

By Thursday evening, she was doing three front flips in a row,

Along with a back flip and a twist.

By Friday morning, she was able to touch the bottom of the shallow end with her hands

And she was swimming the entire length of the pool alone

(With a chaperone along the way).

 

Yes, she’s a strong, determined, kinesthetically gifted 5-year-old,

But she’s also a product of two of the most important gifts we will ever receive:

Time and sleep.

 

She practiced her flips on Wednesday, but she couldn’t get them.

Her brain needed time to synthesize its practice and learning and

It did just that with a good night’s sleep.

 

She practiced touching the bottom with her hands on Thursday, but she couldn’t do it.

Her brain needed time to synthesize its practice and learning and

It did just that with a good night’s sleep.

 

Time and sleep are so important to learning and decision-making, friends.

“Sleeping on it” isn’t just a nice cliché.

 

So the next time you’re stuck.

The next time you can’t do something.

The next time you have a tough decision to make.

Give yourself time and sleep on it.

 

I can’t guarantee that your results will be as quick as a 5-year-old’s,

But I can guarantee that your brain will thank you for giving it the space it needs to

Synthesize its thinking, practicing, and learning.

 

Oh God: Thank you for time and sleep. May we never take them for granted but instead honor them for the transformative and healing powers that they have. Amen.