Look to the stars and lose a little sleep

As the moon rises and is covered in shadow, we can remember that sometimes we have our own shadows to pass through. But pass through them we will, by losing a little sleep.

Tuesday morning was the last total lunar eclipse until March 14, 2025. My mom passed down her love of the stars and the moon to me and my sister. So, at midnight when I was done with homework, I set my alarm for 2:30 a.m, laid out a blanket, hot hands, my glasses and keys at the foot of my bed and then slept until my alarm went off. 

I woke up more ready to get out of the bed at two in the morning than most days when I have class at 10 a.m. I drove out past houses so that I could see the stars and just sat and watched for an hour.

If you don’t like astronomy, you probably think that was an insane idea. Who disrupts their entire night of sleep to watch Earth’s shadow fall on the moon?

I asked myself that question while I was Googling the times that the eclipse was going to happen. But at the end of the day the answer is simple.

Someone who found something worth disrupting their sleep.

For me watching stars, eclipses, or meteor showers are worth disrupting my sleep. For other people it might be watching that baseball game to its last inning, no matter how late it goes. Or maybe it’s something simple like staying up all night with a friend talking until you’re so tired that words don’t make sense and everything is funny.

No matter what it is that you deem worth ruining a night of sleep, I say that every once in a while, you should treat yourself to it.

Yes, it will ruin an entire night of sleep and you’ll probably be exhausted halfway through the day, but if you don’t let yourself do the things you love, you’re going to be exhausted anyways.

If you only live life doing what others ask, then what’s left for you?

I once saw a quote somewhere that said, “We’re all going to die someday, you may as well do something for yourself for once.” 

I don’t think enough people have heard that quote.

You can live your life helping people if that’s what you love to do, but you have to help yourself too. If you only focus on others or what the next assignment is without taking care of yourself, you’ll find yourself overshadowed with expectations and work.

But just like the moon and Earth’s shadow, it’s just a phase that you can pass through. 

Some people would say good sleep will help heal. And I do agree, objectively, good sleep will help. But having something to wake up excited for or having those experiences you love that ruin your sleep for a day heal just as much too. 

You can sleep every night or even take a nap during the day, but you can only see that eclipse in person once. Live life while you can and go lose some sleep with something you love.