Bed Time

 

“Do you make your bed every day?”

Savana asked me that question recently. And she was not the first. It seems to be a new cultural discussion. I have actually been in conversations about the emotional need to see a tidy bed vs. the freedom that comes from a decision not to worry about it. Other times we discussed the discipline building that results from the daily ritual vs. the stress of trying to live up to an arbitrary standard.

After much research thinking, I have determined that there are three types of bed making styles. And I have lived all of them.

1.            The well-made bed. 

The sheets are straightened, covers are straightened, and all are aligned perpendicular to the floor. Pillows are laid at the head of the bed with pretty pillow shams visible.

This is where I am currently. My house isn’t always clean, but I do love a well        made bed. Hotel staff get big tips from me when the bed is tucked tight so I  can slip in and feel hugged. When I get up at night, I straighten my side of the  bed before I get back in. I do allow myself just to toss the pillow shams on top without arranging them, so do not label me a purist.

2.       The straightened bed.

The covers are pulled up over somewhat wrinkled sheets and probably will not align with the floor. Pillows are tossed on top of everything, and it is presentable enough.

This is where I spent most of my adult life when I was rushing to get kids to school and myself to work.  Martin worked shift work and was often in the bed when I left so he would straighten when he got up. (Note – there are different levels of straightening. Martin used the lesser form.)

3.       The nesting bed.

The bed is vacated and left alone so that the sleeper has the comfort of knowing it is alright to lay down again at a moment’s notice with no worries about how many times a day you will have to re-make it.

This is where I was as a young adult. I remember a trip to Lakeview for a United Methodist Women’s spiritual weekend. My sweet friend, Jeanie, was shocked and disappointed to find me a category 3 bed maker and I found it humorous to make my bed look like a stack of dirty laundry. One day after breakfast, she remade my bed because she said it prevented her from concentrating in Bible study. I prayed for forgiveness. I would never want my bed-making lapses to keep anyone from Jesus.

After all this thinking, I have come to the conclusion that there is not a right or wrong way to make beds as long as you enjoy a good sleep while you are there.

UPDATE

Today I discovered a fourth style.

 4.   The burrowing bed.

 This begins with a well-made bed. Add two grandchildren who arrive after school and find Nana’s bed a good place to hide, or read, or play.   

 

Do you make your bed every day?