Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord, my soul to keep;
Guide me safely through the night
and wake me with the morning’s light
Amen

My mummy has this little ritual. Every night before she goes to sleep I can hear her footsteps outside my room and the door creak open.

Since I was very small, my mummy has always checked on me. I’m sure that’s the same for many other parents…what’s different is that I sometimes hear her mutter words under her breath like a magic spell.

I always strain to hear what she is whispering and she chants it so fast and repeats it over and over again, it’s kind of spooky but reassuring at the same time.

See, my mummy stands outside my door and prays for me, every night. If she’s away from me she still prays in her head at her bedside.

My mummy is not ‘super’ religious. She believes in God, a higher power…something. She asks for a blessing and for others to watch over me. Protect me from harm. She prays to God that this magical spell will keep me safe. I’m too young to understand but the power of hope and wishes is great and reassuring especially at nighttime.

My mummy tries to be a good person. Being generous and kind as best as she knows how, she’s not perfect and has failings and she asks for forgiveness too.

She just wants me to be safe and happy and she wants to be a better person and help others, it starts at home.

Baby steps..she needs to be kinder and more thoughtful of others, less selfish and more forgiving. This she finds this hard, but with a little bit of encouragement she can do better.

In her own little way she is on her little religious path. Trying to integrate her beliefs into her own world. Again, this feels hard, outdated and consuming.

Baby steps

Keep praying, keep believing.

Love Bella x

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I’ll assume I’ll rise rested and at peace.
For I know all day I tried my best
To treat all others with respect.