I love being awake for many, many hours a day. I'm usually awake for 18-19 hours/asleep for 5-6 hours. The reason I love this? It means that the 8 hours that I'm working are just a small part of the day. During the other 10-11 hours that I'm awake, I live the FUN parts of life. Like sitting on the front steps and watching the world with my ragazz', or doing yard stuff or feeding the birds or taking care of the house. Those are the parts of life that matter. The 8 hours or so that take me away from all that.. well, they're useful, in that I make money to support the rest of that. But I don't ever want to make work the most important part of my life.

Work WAS the most important part for a few years. All of my late 20s and 30s, and the first few years of 40s. I earned - and learned - a lot. I was also sad and mad - not a lot, but more frequently. There are lots of ups and downs that are inherent with working as hard as I did.. and I rode that roller coaster for all those years. But NOW. This time of life - this is so. much. better. Yeah, I'm making less than half of what I used to make.. but all the shoes and purses and manicures in the world don't compare to what I've got now. I'm content. I'm centered. I know exactly where I'm at, and who I am. I'm in love with the man I'll be with forever, and I've got wonderful, quality family (some related biologically, some not) and friends. AND I make a mean Sunday dinner (and most other dinners, too. Heh.).

...Which is why I want to be awake and enjoy every single second of this happy, lovely life. I've earned it.