Bed Check

The Family Man is the last one to bed

My wife is early to bed, early to rise – I am the opposite, at least halfway. Late to bed, a bit less early to rise. I’m still up and out the door by 7:30 for work, but can’t seem to get to bed before midnight.

The last thing I do before going to bed each night is to check on each one of my kids. I’ve done it every night since my first child was born. At the time I was worried about SIDS; now it has become a habit. So each night I go into each of my sons’ rooms, adjust their covers if needed, give them a kiss on the head, whisper “Good night,” and head off to bed myself.

There is both comfort and amusement in this routine. The comfort is spending a moment watching each boy sleep, so peacefully, wondering what he is dreaming about. The amusement comes from the occasion when they are asleep on the floor, turned sideways or backwards in their bed, or some other unique variation. Once in a while an open book is on the bed, sometimes a toy has been hidden away. Once I found a flashlight glowing faintly under the covers.

Still, each night before I leave I check to see they are breathing. Old habits die hard.

Only then can I join my wife and go to sleep.

It’s great to be The Family Man.