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The Ritual Which Has Been A Part Of My Life

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The main ritual which has been a part of my life for almost twenty-three years surrounds my children. When they were babies I found myself unable to relax and sleep without first “checking in” on them to ensure all was right with their worlds. Each night I would very quietly tip toe into each of their rooms, adjust their blankets, and place their favorite stuffed animal within reach to ward off any nightmares. My final step would be to stroke their tiny head, lean down and place a gentle kiss on their foreheads, and whisper, “sweet dreams”. If for some reason I was not able to do this I would not sleep peacefully. I felt something was missing or I had forgotten something important. As time passed and my children grew, my nighttime ritual was modified. My oldest son no longer sleeps with his favorite bear, and is rarely asleep when I am ready for bed. With him I now ruffle his hair and kiss his forehead, tell him not to stay up too late, and to have sweet dreams. This ritual seems to suffice as I am able to relax and sleep. However, it was very impractical to try this with my youngest as he is in Bloomington and I am in Converse, so he and I came to an alternate arrangement. Each night, roughly around 10:00pm, I receive a text from him to let me know he is alright. I reply to his text with sweet dreams and try not to study too late. In this way I am still practicing my nightly ritual, albeit an amended one, and am able to sleep knowing all is right with their worlds. Many

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