How do we face the middle of the night? Woken from a deep sleep, worrying about a loved one or a problem at work? Unresolvable. Out of our control. So desperate to find closure where there is none.
So tired, yet frantic, that we cannot fall back asleep. Revisiting every possible place, moment, word, and possible outcome to find some small comfort. None appears while the clock, next to our bed, keeps ticking.
At sunrise, drained, we move on to the start of our next day. When our next day is not new there is a problem unresolved. Something that is like a weight on our shoulder that keeps getting heavier. We feel afraid and so alone. We don’t want to face this day but must. Robotic, withdrawn, and beaten we walk through each hour as a ghost of our true selves.
Responsibility is postured as being something noble and great. Everyone of us goes through our lives believing deeply that we are responsible people.
In the middle of the night is when we feel the great weight of responsibility. As a parent. As a business owner. As a high level manager. In the middle of the night is where we are tested to see if we can endure, be patient, and continue to fight through until a resolution or solution appears.
It is in the middle of the night when our responsibility is truly revealed to us. This is also the place where we come face to face with our deepest insecurities.
Some break under the pressure. Others freeze. Some withdraw. Others are drawn to addiction. A few strong ones carry on. We never know how we will react until we, too, wake up in the middle of the night.
Many around us, I’m sure, have seen the middle of the night. Never sharing this experience but using it to fuel their determination to make it through. Life demands this of us.
Was it worth facing the middle of the night? Almost always yes, for it reminds us that life is more fragile than we think and that we may not always get our way while reminding us to never give up.