But I Smile Anyway…

I thought I’d try out a new ‘thing’ this week, after reading some lovely posts that my blog sis Willow has been writing, following prompts from Lauren and Maggie. This week it is Maggie who has set the questions.

1. Did you share a room with a sibling, or did you have a room of your own?

When we were younger, my brother and I shared a cosy little box room, with a bunk bed in it. I was on top and he was on the bottom, as the younger sibling. Obviousy, as we got older the sharing would have to swap. He was lucky enough to get his own room, as I moved out to a bigger room, but I ended up sharing with an older cousin who came to live with us for a few years, from Kenya, to continue her education. I may have had this larger room to myself for a short while, but it never lasted long, as another cousin came to stay, not long after. During the breaks in cousins who came to live with us, I would have that spare twin bed in my room, but it was the first place a guest was placed to sleep if they came over! I think university was the time I had my own room, finally, that no one else would be sharing!

2. Did you resist going to bed or did you go willingly?

I wasn’t too bad at going to bed. My brother was awful. However, whether I slept straight away, was another matter! I loved my bed, and still do, but I can while away hours, just reading into the night.

3. Did someone put you to bed, tuck you in, or read you a bedtime story?

When we were younger, my mum read stories to us. As I got older and learned to read myself, I would read my own book. But Mum and Pops always came and tucked us in and said goodnight.

4. Was there a religious component, like prayers, to your nighttime routine?

Yes, we would always recite a verse from the Guru Granth Sahib (we are Sikh) before bed, with Mum or Pops. I did it with my children, too.

5. Did you go to sleep immediately, or lie awake?

As I touched upon before, unless I was exhausted, I would read. When I was a little older I had a TV in my room, so sometimes I would watch programmes, first, then read, and then sleep.

6. Did you journal, read a book, talk on the phone or with your siblings, or watch television when you were supposed to be sleeping?

Everyone knew what a bookworm I was, even at a young age, so books were with me no matter where I was. I even had a torch under the cover to keep reading, after Mum had been round to tell us it was lights out time!

7. Did you ever sleepwalk?

No, I haven’t done that or talked in my sleep, and I am sure I would have been told, if I had, considering all the roommates I had!

8. Did you remember having dreams? If you dreamed, did you ever have bad dreams? Do you remember any dreams specifically?

There was a time when I used to have such vivid dreams that I would write what I remembered in a notebook I kept by the side of my bed. They were strange, long, very involved dreams that used to have so many aspects to them! When I was much younger, I remember there was a time I had a recurring bad dream about being left on a plane alone by my family. I would wake up screaming. It was a time there was strife going on in the wider family, and despite my parents trying to keep conversations from our ears, other members of the family weren’t so conscientious, and I think the overhead words were a trigger for this.

9. Were you afraid of the dark? Did you sleep with a nightlight or sneak into your sibling’s or parent’s room at night because you were afraid?

I am always so glad that I wasn’t one to be afraid of the dark. I loved it, in fact. What I hated were the awful polystyrene tiles on the ceiling, which meant that if a moth or a daddy-long legs managed to enter my room, I could hear them hitting the ceiling, and I would end up screaming out to my Pops to come and rescue me!

10. Did you have or attend sleepovers or slumber parties? Feel free to elaborate.

Having the huge family that we did, there were often sleepovers with them, or with cousins staying over (not the above ones, but other regular, live in this country cousins!) We would have midnight feasts and talk until late at night. I loved it! And I used to thoroughly enjoy staying at other peoples’ houses. I didn’t have school friends stay over, because we were quite far from the school, plus I think I was always worried that they would think our Indian household was a bit weird! Plus, half the time there wasn’t space! But I did like to stay over at theirs, so I could experience a true English family life for a night. It was an experience!

Well, that was fun! Shall I do it again, next week?

Throwback Thursday #45 – Nighttime Rituals