Remember those days when getting ready for bed was absolute misery? You would try to bargain with your parents endlessly just to stay up for a little while longer, put off brushing your teeth, hide all of your pajamas, demand several bedtime stories, make your dad check any and all closets/dark spaces in your room for monsters, and anything else that might prevent you from having to face your dreaded bed. Even if you did all you could do to avoid it, your efforts were ultimately futile and you’d be forced to lie beneath your comforter in resentment until you finally fell asleep.
Thinking back on this now, I cannot help but laugh at my naivety. How could I have judged my bed so harshly for all those years? How could I have viewed it as something to fight against, something to dread? How could I have ever thought my bed to be my enemy when it was actually my greatest ally? Despite the fact that it is devoid of a consciousness, there are a lot of reasons why my bed truly is the greatest friend I could ever have.
1. I trust it more than anything.
There is nothing in this world that I can count on to come through for me like my bed. I never have to worry that it won’t be there, or that it will leave me when the going gets tough. I know that the way I left the state of my comforter that morning will still be the same when I return.
2. It always accepts me.
No matter what state I am in when I return home at the end of the day, my bed is there. Whether I’m sobbing or laughing, if I am freshly showered or still covered in sweat from my trek up the stairs, my bed will always welcome me with its metaphorical open arms.
3. We complement each other.
When my bed is a mess, I’m a mess. When my bed is tidy, I’m slightly less of a mess for at least that moment in time. We’re so in sync we’re practically soulmates, held together by the red string of fate.
4. It is supportive.
Not only does my bed physically support me during my vulnerable hours, it also encourages me to follow my dreams. Do I want to eat Cheez-its in bed even though I know I’ll get crumbs everywhere? Do I want to binge watch “Drunk History” instead of writing a paper? My bed will support me through it all.
5. It is always a comforting presence.
I mean, my bed is equipped with something literally called a “comforter.” I cannot deny this significance, especially considering the general sense of calm it brings to my life when I can finally relax, swaddled by said comforter.
6. I always look forward to seeing it.
Sometimes the only thing that gets me up in the mornings is knowing that I will be able to return to it after the day is done. Nothing keeps me going like knowing I have something I love waiting for me at home.
7. It is a great listener.
As someone who has to constantly be reminded not to talk to myself in public, I’m sure you can imagine how much I talk to myself when I’m alone in my room. Even if I’m just rambling on about my day, how much I’m craving a burger, or trying to talk myself out of dropping out of college, my bed is receptive to all my thoughts.
8. It won’t ever spill my secrets.
Luckily, since it’s a bed, I don’t ever have to worry about it going off and telling everyone my business. Which is excellent because, as mentioned above, I have a lot of business to share, even if most of it is trivial nonsense.
9. It is mine.
My steadfast companion. My most treasured ally. My bed is a place of refuge, of comfort, of socks I have lost in the middle of the night mid-sleep, and it is all mine. I get to pick how it looks, how many pillows and/or blankets to fill it with, and how I want to sleep on it. My bed is there for me and me alone, and that kind of unconditional love is more than anyone could ever hope to ask for.
