Sometimes it’s hard to fall asleep, especially when you’re a child. You don’t just “fall” asleep. Sleep is a transition that can be fought. Going to sleep means stopping play with a toy, or, in my case, reading a book. It means turning off your energy and telling your body to rest. And sometimes being apart from the people you love is hard. Now, we have to be in a dark, quiet room, and sleep can feel too big. Sleep requires trust. Trust that the night will pass safely, that the morning will come, and that you won’t miss anything important. That’s why bedtime is often a dance of one more story, one more drink, one more question. It’s not defiance. It’s learning how to let go. And when a child finally drifts off to sleep, it’s a small triumph, a reminder to us that rest is something we all have to practice, no matter our age.

Here we have Joyce Jorden Miller and Lois Jorden all ready for bed. The bed looks comfy and cozy, just waiting for them. Many of us build rituals around going to sleep, and those rituals can begin in childhood. Brushing our teeth, picking a story to read, or a doll or animal that will “sleep” with us. Those toys become a part of the ritual, signaling that it’s time to wind down and go to sleep.

The room that we can see is simple. Just a bed and a small bedside table with a lamp on it. Simple. I love the wallpaper on the walls. And the simple draped curtains with a window shade. The room is not cluttered but holds the most important things of a bed and light.

In the end, this is a simple moment – two sisters, getting ready for the end of the day with their cherished doll companions. In a quiet room at the end of a busy day. Even now, our sleep can be a return to the feeling of being a child. Where you can once more feel at home and be comforted, secure in the certainty that tomorrow will arrive after our night of rest.