Beauty Sleep

I always thought the phrase, “Beauty sleep” was a figure of speech. That is, until I experienced beauty sleep first hand. Beauty sleep is real.

Now, what I am about to tell you may come to you as a shock. You may find it unbelievable or just plain weird; I doubt this scenario ever reaches Psychology 101 classes. If it did, I would love to participate in the discussion. However, since it is just me and you, I want to offer a little pre-reading advice: after seeing my family’s reaction as my story unfolded the morning after my beauty sleep, I highly suggest that if your mouth is full of food or liquids that you first swallow before continuing to read. I’ll wait… (pause)

Like most stories with a good plot, the reader benefits from learning about the character’s setting and pre-existing events that might factor in as the story progresses. A general synopsis of myself: I drink 2 cups of coffee in the morning and herbal tea in the evening; I just renewed my gym pass and Thursday walked a half mile around the indoor track, resulting in the realization that I am very out of shape and it is harder to hold my neck in good posture. Friday, we embarked on a whole day out visiting various shops in an outlet mall for some necessities and a day of being together. I walked the whole day (with my walker) and by the time we grabbed Chipotle for dinner, I was so hungry, but almost too tired to eat. I am not sorry for overdoing myself though as it was one of the best times out that I have had in a long time.

Saturday morning, we left for the Victoria Theatre in Dayton as we attended a lightwire production of The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Anderson and a modern twist to Aesop’s The Tortoise and the Hare. As evening gave way, we set our clocks forward an hour for Daylight Savings and Sunday morning seemed to arrive too quickly. I didn’t have time for my first cup of coffee before leaving for church and just planned on having it when I returned home again. After church, I had a few errands to run on that side of town, so I ended up coming home around noon. Deciding Sweet tea would taste better with our tuna lunch, I then went the whole rest of the day with only one other cup of hot Vanilla Almond black tea. As midnight rolled around, I finally concluded my weekend and headed to bed most exhausted.

It is all hazy memory from that point on until 9am Monday morning. I can’t tell you much details. I don’t know what my intentions were, what time in the morning it actually was (I am guessing around 3am or so), or how long I was in beauty land. One thing’s for sure–I am quite talented in my sleep. Yes, beauty sleep. And if you need me to enhance the already laughable tale…let me tell what I remember. I was standing at my bathroom sink. I had my powdered foundation in my left hand and had somehow managed to retrieve the circular pad from the bottom of the foundation container but it had dropped in the sink. I remember seeing the sink, but thinking the pad is on top of the foundation, so I start trying to “grab hold” of it. Frustrated at my hands, I start digging my fingers into the foundation, but then realize the pad is not there. I am not sure what happens in my train of thought after this, but I do manage to get the pad from the sink and swipe it on the foundation. It was as if I was explaining to someone how to smoothly apply your makeup, because I was saying something as I started applying the powder to my face. It was then that I broke into a better state of consciousness.

I put down my foundation and sort of mumbled, “What am I doing?” and then giggled as I turned to leave the bathroom and back to bed. I didn’t get up again (at least to my knowledge) until 9am. I didn’t get up thinking or even remembering beauty land, until I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth. My counter-top was messy with my makeup sprawled out and powdered foundation remains near the sink. You need evidence? My foundation bears trench lines where I had aimed to retrieve the powdered foundation pad but to no avail. Best part is when I opened the middle-cupboard drawer to put my makeup back in my makeup bag, I found it full of non-makeup items, one being a travel sized Vaseline container. I have no memory of any kind in this re-shifting/organizing process. As I get everything back in order, I try to think of a plausible explanation. I come to none but laughter.

Extreme physical fatigue, Daylight Savings and lack of my normal caffeine levels are all intermingled in this strange experience…although a higher emphasis in the caffeine withdraw is most probable. I also wondered why my makeup? I only wear mascara anymore, and it is usually only on the days I am headed out around town or other occasions. Even mascara takes me long to apply, so I just have gone back to a natural, no makeup face and have had no regrets. I have only kept my makeup otherwise for very special occasions, such as weddings or upcoming graduation ceremonies. I suppose I will never know or understand–not that it matters–but one thing’s for certain: “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,”regardless of whether or not you are fully awake.

For this reason it says, “Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.”

Ephesians 5:14, NASB