3 a.m.

A person should not wake up for the day at 3 a.m. The world is dark and the house is quiet. Typically, when I wake at such an early hour, I mentally cheer at all the additional minutes of sleep before my alarm clock jolts me to reality.

But, as you guessed, I've been awake since 3 this morning. Mind you, I was curled beneath my cozy, flannel sheets, exhaustedly settling in last night at 9 p.m. Yet, even with my early bedtime, I needed and expected to get more than five hours of body-healing, mind clearing, restful sleep.

Oh sure, I tried to coax my body into returning to restful slumber, but just before 5 a.m., I gave it up and climbed out of bed. Now I'm sipping a tea, noshing on a muffin and contemplating activities for the day. I have lots I could do, but I have to balance those chores out with the rest my body so badly needs to recover from chemo on Thursday. A little work, a little reading sounds just about right.

I'm also already planning the optimal time to nap. I'm sure I'll be ready to plunk my head back on the pillow mid-morning; shortly after the kids go to school.

As a cancer patient undergoing treatment, I need to let my body lead and go with the flow. In many ways, we should all follow that same advice, listening to our bodies more and being kinder to it when it protests. Believe me, this great advice is far harder to follow some days than others.

Tina