When sleep doesn't come, fireflies light up the kitchen.

I guess, after all the trips to Nashville and excitment of seeing long, lost family, our minds just could not shut down for sleep, last night. I continued to watch the clock beside our bed and wonder, "just what do people do that really can't sleep every night?" It had been a fast-paced day. It have been a draining day. It had been an emotional day. It had been a family day. From listening to friends and family remembering my husband's uncle to embracing loved ones hands to a delicious dinner at J.Alexander's, the day simply was full, thus continuing on into the night. I became aware that my husband was having the same difficulty, as he tossed and turned, neither one of us ever found the position for sleep, it just would not come. As our daughter stood in our bedroom doorway, she announced she could not fall to sleep either, so we all retreated to the kitchen for a midnight snack. Her eyes bright and full of youth, she grabbed the Jif peanut butter and a glass of milk. We talked softly, so not to wake the one person asleep in the house. We all offered suggestions as to why we couldn't find sleep. Were we too hot? Did the Starbuck's coffee do it? Was something on our minds? Finally, I found the comfort in our dimly lit kitchen. Soft words spoken with a slight giggle from our daughter. My husband and I gathered around the table to listen and blink our eyes. The comfort of fresh milk and a clean glass. The familiar smell of peanut butter as our daughter licked the spoon. It was 15 minutes of joy. Thank goodness we had not been asleep for I am sure we would not have been as likely to arise to the kitchen. As the final swirl of peanut butter was removed from her index finger, we once again kissed and hugged goodnite. Her Abercrombie pajamas faded into the dark towards her bedroom. My husband and I turned back to our mattress of 20 years. Neither one of us found the sleep we had been looking for. The night slowly turned to morning. As I stumbled to pour my cup of coffee, my daughter announced she quickly fell sleep after the midnight snack. As I rubbed some sense of light into my eyes, I quickly remembered how beautiful this kitchen seemed last night, with the dim light bouncing off the walls and the bright eyes of our child as she talked with a mouth full of peanut butter.