Truthfully ... I Don't Want The Lights To Go Out In My World

                                                    Gloria Faye Brown Bates 2021

Each morning I am the first to get up. I get up immediately bringing the resting house back to life. I do it in a quiet way so, as not to wake Skip.

 I turn on the TV... the water fountain with lights ... fireplace ... the Christmas tree lights, the bottle of colored lights, the ... little birch tree, Tommy's plant with lights. I turn on the lights around my art table. I open the shades to let the early morning light in to mix with all creating a happy glow. Mind you, some of the lights are powered by batteries. Next, I turn on the coffeemaker. I have made the house wake back up, come alive before ... Skip gets up. I make myself a wonderful cup of coffee flavored just right for me ... cream, no sugar. Next ... I come to sit either at my art table or ... like this morning I chose my cozy spot on the love seat. I wait several minutes ... I hear little feet coming up the hall. It's our precious Camie, our 9 year old Catahoula Pup. She jumps up onto the ottoman ... she gets as close to me as possible, falls down tight to me, gets comfortable ... goes to sleep. I snuggle up to her letting her know how loved she is by my gentle touches pulling her just a little tighter to me. I send love through my hand as I pet her soft, silky fur. She nudges tighter. This Pup has fallen back to sleep. Truthfully ... I wish so much that the house was already woken up, back to life before I get up. I love to wake up and the house not be asleep ... I don't like a sleepy house at all. Isn't that strange? I don't like a dark house ... I have soft night lights throughout the house. I don't like a deathly quiet house ... I have the soft sound of a fan to lull me to sleep. Sometimes ... I will leave the TV on with the volume very low ... just enough to hear voices, life close by. I wish someone could turn the lights, TV on before I wake, have the coffeemaker on, make the house wake up before I do. I can remember having that at one time in my life ... when I lived at home with my mother. I never knew one day I would miss a house brought to life before I woke up each morning. Now, I know how much it meant to ME. Thank you, Mama. Now, it's my turn to be the light keeper of my life. This is why I stay up late each night ... I don't want the lights to go out in my world.