A nap is a wonderful thing. It is a great opportunity to recharge mind, body, and soul. As adults, we often don’t nap often. Usually it is because our schedules don’t allow; sometimes it is because we believe naps are not “for adults” anymore.
And yet, a nap can be a great way to provide some quiet time for our minds, and a chance to approach an idea, or problem, differently than before.
Of course, like anything else, nap cycles change. Our youngest, who is three, has decided that, for the most part, she no longer wants to nap. Part of it is because she wants to spend time playing with her older sister, and part of it is because she is simply ready to reduce her napping time.
This is both something to be welcomed and something to miss. On one side, there are now more opportunities to do things in the middle of the day, something that we have looked forward to for some time.
Of course, on the other hand, we will miss those few hours of time when the house was a bit quieter, and where, if our oldest was reading, coloring, drawing, watching television, etc., we might get a bit of downtime ourselves.
Naps, of course, can represent anything that changes over time. Whether it is a leader who we have come to truly love working for/with, whether it be a building/school schedule that is changing after thirty years, whether it be the inclusion of a new grade in our school building, the world changes over time, and we do as well.
It is important to recognize that we can be both excitedly anticipating change, while at the same time missing what will be changing. Whether for the better or the worse, the one thing we can’t deny is that change happens, and change is necessary for our continued growth.
So, let’s welcome the end of naps, both for what they will bring, and what will disappear when they do. The inevitability of change means that we’re constantly moving in (what could be) the right direction.