A Superbly Supportive Night Stand

I love to design a great master bedroom. The textures, the colors, the indulgences, large and small.  This is THE room. But one of the greatest pieces of design guidance for this room that I ever got was not from one of my design mentors. Instead, it came from somebody I’d call one of my Life mentors. And let me tell you…she is a smarty pants. During a particularly challenging time, this treasured person made a suggestion about something I should absolutely have on my nightstand (no…Valium was NOT on the list!). I took her advice and loved it so much all those years ago – that today I have expanded upon it. So my Mother’s Day Gift to you is my Short List for A Superbly Supportive Night Stand. Happy Mother’s Day…

Put these items on your bedroom night stand:

• If you have children:  A photo not of your children alone..but instead a photo of you WITH your children. Honor your motherhood with a daily good-morning dose of you doing that miraculous and sometime miraculously challenging thing…mothering. Give yourself a glorified view of you being a Mother.

•  If you have a husband:  A photo of you WITH your husband not one of him alone. And hopefully it’s a shot where you look particularly fetching. Why not wake up to a good dose of you with your man – and head to slumber with that as a last view, too. Great way to get your gratitude going as you count sheep.

• If you do not have (or want) a husband:  OK…then…valid. In this case, you’ll want to have a photo of you with some treasured friends. I mean real “inner circle type folk.” This way, you can be reminded of the love that you give and the love that you receive as you drift off to sleep.

• A short stack of 3 great books:  1 inspirational to comfort, 1 piece of fiction to whisk you away from your daily cares and 1 “Holy Cow” Book…something that will amaze you. Try The Energy of Sound (you’ll be amazed!) or a great art book. Something that takes your breath away. Ban the gossip magazines and newspaper from your inner sanctuary and last stop before slumber. There’s plenty of time during the day to connect with the world and her anxious, small ways.

• Fresh Flowers! At least 1x/month do this for yourself. And on your nightstand. Years ago, I read that a study was done that found that people who awoke to fresh flowers near their heads in the morning…even a small bouquet…generally felt lighter and happier during the day. Fact or fiction? Who cares. Test the theory if only because you’ll have a great time doing it.

That’s pretty much it. It’s a short list I grant you. Add a phone if you must. Sure, the alarm clock is needed, but that’s no fun. Let your night stand be a little sanctuary within your bedroom oasis. Let there be grace and delight atop this piece of furniture that last captures your attention before your evening slumber – and let it be filled with the mindful and the elevating as the first thing you gaze upon before your feet hit the floor.