Sam woke me at 4:30AM to
let me know he is not a vampire. It is important to know these things at
4:30AM. World, please know Sam is not a vampire.
That was my facebook post earlier this week. When Sam read the post, he looked at me and said, “No live with the vampires, Mommy.”
Be assured I do
not have any plans to send Sam off to live with vampires. I am glad he
mentioned it, though. It reminds me he listens. It also reminds me on occasion it takes him a while to respond. Sometimes as much as 9
or 10 years.
Being October, most would guess Sam's comment is connected to Halloween somehow. Not so. It is actually part of a largely one-sided conversation spanning several years. Translation? There is a little more to the story. Isn’t there always?
Sam has never
been much of a sleeper. From as far back as I can remember a visit or two from
Sam punctuated my nights. The visits came in spurts involving a couple of hours hanging out, waiting for Sam to fall back to sleep. After a long string of
sleepless nights, you are bound to say something ridiculous. Or at least I am.
When Sam was 7
or 8, we went through a particularly long spell of sleep deprivation. Finally,
in frustration, I recall saying something like, “Sam, you need to sleep or find a nocturnal family to take you in. Maybe some vampires. They
are up all night. Are you part vampire or what?” I am pretty sure I told Tony I was going to post an ad for a kindly vampire family on Craig's list.
In the ensuing years, it became sort of a routine. I’d ask Sam if he
was hanging out with vampires again whenever he looked particularly tired in the morning. Given his sleep history, this question was asked with some frequency.
Sam never responded. Not once. Ten years of vampire questions and nothing.
Until just
recently, that is. Has all this vampire stuff been festering in Sam’s mind? Wow.
I hope not. At the least I think I owe Sam a public apology, so here goes:
Sam,
Sorry about the whole vampire thing.
I didn’t think you were listening. I know you are not a vampire. I promise I won't send you to live with the vampires (I really don’t know any.)
Nocturnal or not, I want you here, with me, where you belong for a very
long time.
