The middle of the night is so quiet.
Only the ticking of the clock and the vibrating hum of the fish tank break the silence. I should be asleep but I’ve been scrolling for hours enjoying the me-time of no demands.
My daughter is restless, I hear the thud of her doll fall from her bed onto the floor, please don’t wake up, my son turns on the bed next to me and claws at his mouth subconsciously expressing his hunger. I start to feed him then I hear ‘Mummy I want some milk’. Great … if I get up my son will wake up as he’s in that semi-awake stage where sudden movements or the removal of his drinking source would cause alarm, likewise my daughter won’t accept no for an answer.
When they are both finally back to sleep, I start my favourite activity, daydreaming about having infinite time.
Infinite time where I have the power to stop and start time of my own volition.
Wake up, house is a mess, too tired to do dishes last night, the laundry is building its own cubby house, floors need sweeping, beds need making … stop time, ta-da, clean house, start time, open the door to unexpected guest, yes it’s always this tidy.
If I had the power of infinite time I would:
- happily play imaginative games with my daughter for hours, be Anna to her Elsa.
- pilates away the baby weight from my 16-month-old son.
- shag my husband like the good old days, spontaneous, uninterrupted, limitless.
- catch up with friends where we could finish a conversation that didn’t involve wrangling or chasing wayward toddlers.
- write my book without feeling like I’m neglecting my children or housework.
- contribute more within my community.
- cook gourmet meals that require hours to prepare and taste delicious.
- collate photos off numerous hard drives to be printed and framed, the 1000s of unseen photos are causing me anxiety, what if the hard drives explode?
- read the books I borrowed from the library and returned unread.
- commit to watching a TV series rather than only the pilot and finale.
It’s not a comprehensive list, it’s always evolving to meet my needs, that’s why it’s my favourite daydream.