The Wrong Side of the Bed

An alarm is roaring, you get up begrudgingly after hitting snooze for the 5th time. You sit there, legs still wrapped in the comfort of the warm duvet. Your body is not awake yet, but your mind is beginning to stir. Your right hand reaches for your face rubbing the sleep from your eyes.

Something just feels off. As you slowly unravel yourself, you notice goosebumps raising from the sudden chill. Getting up from sitting usually happens with ease and without a thought, but today your knees give in slightly with a diffuse numbness. The right one buckles and you hear a light pop. It doesn’t hurt, but it’s just uncomfortable enough to solicit a verbal reaction. You take the 10 steps to your bathroom sink. 10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1.

You are in front of your ceramic white vanity, hazily staring at the mirror. You turn the chrome knob, listening to the rushing water. You splash the lukewarm water over your face. The image in the mirror becomes a little clearer.

Today you take a long glance at yourself. Your eyes move to your forehead and you think to yourself about how you wish you could remember, you wish you were more confident, you wish you could be better. You lower your gaze to your shoulders and you wish you had better posture, you wish you could lift more and look slimmer. You look down. You’re not even looking at your reflection anymore but you stare at your legs and feet. You wish you could run faster.

Today… you just feel like you fall short, but you have to remember, you can still stand on the right side of the bed tomorrow.