How Your Bed Plays a Major Role in Your Life
Your bed can be your comfort zone and companion
When you’re born, you start out life sleeping in a bed of some kind. Your mom put you in a crib. And sometimes, you might find yourself sleeping with your mom in her bed. Your father may be there, also.
As you grow up, you may have brothers or sisters that share your room. Bunk beds are common for kids that share sleeping space. You have your own bed. It feels comforting, because it’s your own bed.
If you’re lucky, as you get older, you may get your own bedroom. You may be sleeping in a single or a double bed.
When you leave home, going off to a college dorm room or your own apartment, you will find yourself sleeping in another bed.
So far, you’ve had maybe 5–6 beds that played an important part in your life. The comfort of a good bed providing you with a good nite’s sleep. Hopefully worry free, but problems seem to be part of growing up and once they start to follow us around, they seem to be there for the rest of your life. The problems just change as we get older.
We all know that beds play an important role in our lives as we develop relationships.
When is a bed not just a bed?
We go to bed when we’re tired or ill or when we just want to get away from the whole world.
Hopefully, at some point in your life you will go to bed with the love of your life and feel secure and safe.
Some of us read or study in bed. I’ve always enjoyed reading in bed. One reason is because the bed lighting is positioned so that it carries good light where I need it most.
Over the years I have slept in beds of all sizes — single, double, queen and king. King size beds are always great because of their size. You can still cuddle up, but if you need a little more space, it’s always there.
For nearly 7 years my husband and I slept in a heated, king size water bed. Many of you won’t know about water beds. They were very popular in the 70’s and 80's.
They were great, very heavy, so not good on 2nd floors, and comfy, especially when they had a heater. They were wonderful for people with back problems, which my husband had. To learn more about water beds you might want to Google it.
Yes, sometimes they leaked, but we never had that problem.
If your sleeping partner has an issue like snoring or restless legs that disturbs your rest, a king bed might be helpful.
Let sleeping dogs lie
King beds are great for those of us that have dogs that we allow to sleep with us. Sometimes they take up a lot of bed real estate.
A few years ago, my husband and I had 4 dogs. Two Cocker Spaniels and two Yorkshire Terriers.
Of course, they all slept with us on our king bed. In fact, the Cockers each slept on my husband’s side of the bed. He would literally be hemmed in by them. And when they are asleep, they are like blocks of cement.
Impossible to move. It was a very funny site!
Before we had the dogs, we enjoyed breakfast in bed. And many times champagne and pizza. Often watching movies or videos on the JVC. That dates me, doesn’t it? We had the video series of “The Thin Man,” “Fawlty Towers,” and “A Year in Provence.”
I recommend all of them if you get a chance to see them. They are a wonderful escape from today’s world for a few hours.
Sleeping single in a double bed
My husband and I still had a king size bed when he passed away. He always rearranged his pillows every morning so he could sit up to watch TV and drink his early morning coffee.
After he passed away, I left his side of the bed just the way he had it. I laid one of his favorite shirts there, he had just worn it the day before. When I looked over at that side of the bed, I could still see him there. Just like always.
Our dogs would lay on that side of the bed on that shirt. I guess his scent was still on the shirt.They don’t understand why he’s not around anymore. One minute they were with him and the next minute……Pouf!
Gone!
Weeks went by before I could touch that side of the bed. I rearranged my blankets and linens on my side, but did not disturb his side.
A couple of weeks ago, I was finally able to change the bedding. Not only did I change the bedding, I changed the bed.
I got myself out of bed one Sunday morning and went to a mattress store to purchase a new bed.
I purchased a double bed for myself. A bed in a box. What a concept!
And no box springs, just that elevated frame. It has a lot of storage space underneath. That’s really nice.
It was delivered and set up. That big, bulky, pillow topped king size bed was taken away.
My new double bed is not as lonely. My 2 dogs are sleeping with me. I still have my husband’s shirt on that side of the bed.
Some things are hard to let go.
My new normal daily routine
I get up very early, around 4a.m. I have my first cup of coffee in bed with my computer, cellphone, and the TV as companions, along with my dogs, of course.
My bed has become my comforting refuge.
I am able to do what I need to on the computer while sitting comfortably in bed. Warm and cozy.
I have the computer, cellphone, TV, dogs…. the only missing link is my husband.
I would rather be in my bed than be sitting downstairs in the living room with the TV. The living room is lonely, just like the rest of the house.
I just can’t sit around downstairs by myself.
Cozying up in my bed is not quite as lonely and depressing. It’s like hibernating. I feel like I’d like to spend all winter here. I can understand bears.
Then I could peek out to see if I see my shadow, just like a ground hog.
The joke’s on me
There was a little joke between my husband and I. I always looked forward to Ground Hog Day, because I thought if I could get there, Spring wasn’t far behind.
I always joked with my husband, that “ now I can die happy — I made it to Ground Hog Day!”
Obviously, that was a stupid and tasteless comment that I will never make again. I have said it for over 30 years. My husband always laughed at me, but we live in a cold climate and we are always looking for warmer weather.
But,I will never utter those words again and I dread Ground Hog Day. It’s no longer funny.
Ground Hog Day 2020 was February 2. The same day as the Super Bowl.
My husband and I watched the Super Bowl together as normal This was to be his last.
As Monday, February 3, 2020, he collapsed in front of me as were walking thru the snow to get to our car, to take him to the hospital, because when he got up that morning he noticed that he had gained weight over night.
He called the local hospital and they told him to come in to be checked. That’s where we were going.
He did finally arrive there as rescue came and took him in. He passed there as they could not revive him. All within a matter of minutes. I froze in place, in shock and disbelief. I still cannot believe what I witnessed. It will stay with me the rest of my life, however long or short that is.
So, I am continuing to live with a new bed. No bad memories here. It is my new comfort zone, just me and my dogs.
I guess I have come full circle in my life of beds. As a teenager I had a great foam double bed that I loved.
Now many years later, I’m alone and back in a double bed.
I never realized that a bed was such an important piece of furniture. Probably the most important of everything I own since I can use it for so many things.
It comforts me.
