Bedbugs

My husband has worked in Christian camping long enough that the mere mention of these little beasties causes him to shudder. Real live bedbugs are a difficult nuisance to get rid of and anyone in the hospitality industry does their best to keep them away. Luckily, it was only a rare occasion in the distant past that they showed up and were dealt with quickly.

However, we do have some other bedbugs that have been a little more difficult to eradicate. These have been hanging around for about twenty-one years now. In spite of our best efforts, every now and then they sneak into our bed. These guys aren’t tiny either. They are rather large with pointy elbows and legs that kick. The funny thing is that they only get into our bed when we are in it.

I am a very active person and even though I enjoy my sleep, the only time I am in my bed during the day is if I am sick. As soon as I lay down though, no matter how sick I may be, here come the bedbugs! They snuggle right in, which, if I am being honest, does cheer me up. Even though I have had a steady parade of these for all these years, I do know it will someday come to an end. My little bedbugs are growing up quickly and one of these days will begin having little bedbugs of their own.

The days of parenting, as difficult as they have been and still are, are precious. We are building memories with our children that will last a lifetime. I remember when I was a little girl, I would spend the night with my grandparents occasionally. When it was time for bed, we had an ongoing competition with my Grandpa to see which one of us would say the time-honored phrase first, “Good night, sleep tight…don’t let the bedbugs bite!” He has been gone for years, but it is those types of fun memories that live on.

For now I need to be patient with my little bedbugs, even when I don’t feel well. The time passes quickly, but the memories last forever. I want those memories to be sweet and to carry into my children’s own families. And maybe someday I will have grand-bedbugs to tell, “Good night, sleep tight…don’t let the bedbugs bite!”