Make Your Bed (A Celebration)

Dear Bed,

It's been quite the run for us, hasn't it? We've seen more of each other in the last eighteen months - these unprecedented homebody times - than ever before. You were always important, but I think after the last two years, you deserve a special commendation.

You were there for me. You issued no judgments, no complaints, not even the vaguest hint of a sag after I spent three months using you as a makeshift pandemic office. I spent more time with you than I did with anyone else: the recliner, the couch, or the kitchen table.

I owe you one, buddy.

You saw me through a lot of rough nights this year. Crying-into-the-pillow nights. Sweating-through-the-sheets nights. Toss-and-turn-rock-and-roll nights.

You never gave up on me. You had my back. Also my hips. And knees. And neck.

And I want to acknowledge that, like most of us during these times, you didn't get enough support in your workplace. I know your frame could probably use a few more slats to properly distribute and hold your weight. You definitely deserved better PPE, but you've served valiantly even without a mattress protector. (I'm still really sorry about the Coffee Incident of May 2020.) You, like me, could've probably used a little more sunshine.

But despite all my shortcomings as a member of our team, you have held (me) up beautifully. I've had so many good nights of rest because of you. You have been the site of some of my greatest pleasures in the last two years: long mornings with a book. The most delicious afternoon naps. Scary movies watched from the comfort of the covers.

So, as we begin the new year, buddy, I have a few promises to keep. I resolve to give you the care you need to care for me. I'm going to work with you so I can have the best rest possible.

The next time I wash my sheets, I'm going to take a few minutes and vacuum the surface of the mattress, just to give it a little exfoliation and pull out some of the dust that collects in our sheets and seeps into uncovered mattresses over time.

The result? Cleaner, greener, deeper rest - plus the satisfaction of having done one of those "once in awhile" chores that makes a bigger difference than you expect.

Let's slip you into something a little more comfortable - for me! I know you can't help the way you attract dust, pollen, and other allergens - it's how you're built. By investing in a mattress protector to guard against all that organic matter, you'll last longer, and I'll sleep sounder. (Not to mention all the agony we'll be spared if we see a repeat of the Coffee Incident.)

The result? Not having to vacuum my mattress, leaving me with no worries about allergens, and an extra fifteen minutes to sleep!

We've heard it all before, but it's true: making your bed is good for you. When my bedroom became my sleeping room, office, coffee shop and movie theater (all in one!) it was virtually impossible to convince myself to make my bed. Why bother? I was just going to get back in it!

Well, it turns out there's all kinds of reasons that making your bed is good for you - it promotes other good habits (hey, if you're making your bed, you might as well floss while you're at it, right?), makes your bedroom feel more welcoming at the end of the day, and gives you a little sense of accomplishment.

That said, the reason I'm resolving to make my bed this year? Respect. Good rest isn't something I take for granted - and it is something to celebrate. What better way to cherish the place that nourishes you than by taking care of it each day?

Well, buddy, there you have it. For an office/movie theater/cafeteria/sleeping spot, you did a really good job these last eighteen months. But now it's time for me to have your back, with three simple resolutions that prioritize the REAL purpose of bed - rest!