An owl was born

I am not a morning person. It's euphoric for me to wake in pitch dark and realise that I have a good few hours to continue my slumber. And when I finally do wake, my body and brain need extra minutes to adjust to the new dawn, though it's really way after dawn that I wake. I could have been a bear in my past life - a bear which died not getting the next hibernation, and is reclaiming all the snoozes at present life, as me. And like a bear, I growl when disturbed....especially when my internal clock has not rung.

God is humorous if you asked me. Maybe He has an extra jar of joke which he disposed last minute, right before Gooly was born. He made Gooly wakeful. As wakeful as an owl. He wrapped the little owlet and handed it to the sleepy-head mom. The owlet would only go to sleep when he knew he was the last one to do so in the household. It was a battle of who slept last, in which he was always the champion.

As he grew, he transformed into a joey which literally springs out of bed the moment he wakes. He is the opposite of the sleepy-head mum. His eyes, limbs, brain need no time to chill. His mouth even wakes before anything else. "What should we do now" he'd ask, with his eyes closed though it will only take seconds for the latter to function fully.

And so for the past three years, we didn't need an alarm clock. Gooly would gladly do the job for us. It is not an easy job because Mahmee hibernates, remember? Sometimes I'd tell him it's too early to wake (for my standard). But he got smarter because he'd lament that he is hungry. Now what kind of mother would deny the son food? Not even a sleepy one, right?

And so I'd lunge my sorry bum out of my SULTANAH IKEA mattress and fix him the easiest meal.

With a sour face.. no smiles, no cheery conversations.

Selfishly, I have wanted him to accept that I am not a cheery person in the morning, that I am a -leave-me-alone mahmee before pm. I have failed to realise that I am the one who needs to change. I am the one who should accept his zesty approach to life.

Luckily for me, he told me so this morning. He woke and tried to wake me. I forgot what I did but he was standing next to me, tearing. It wasn't a bawl, just silent tears which broke my heart. I asked if he had a tummy ache.

But I suppose what I did was even more painful than a gastronomical discomfort. "You frowned at me", my little boy said. And right there and then, I made a solemn vow never to frown at him, especially over something as trivial as sleep. It seems trivial to me now, at least.

I now think God is wise and humorous. In subtle, ironic ways, I am told that I need to change. My little messenger is telling me that I shouldn't waste a glorious morning in bed.

I shall go buy a spring to attach to my bum later.

Good Morning Everyone!!