I woke up to find a little boy leaning over me with his face nearly touching my own.

“Oh, Hi!” He spoke into my nose as if it were a microphone, “I did not know if you were awake yet, but you are!”

“Yes… Awake…. uh huh….” I pushed myself away and quickly ran a hand over my face as I shook aside the last cobwebs of a dream I had been having. I already couldn’t remember the details of the dream, but it was something nice. I had been walking through some perfect world that was so beautiful and so amazing that I knew I did not deserve to be there. So, now I was here. And a little boy was reaching his hands under the covers to tickle me until I got out of bed.

“Okay okay okay. Stop.” I sat up and looked at him seriously. “What do you need, Gideon?”

“What do I need? No. What do YOU need? I’m working on something and I need to know what is your most favorite thing to do with or to me?”

“I don’t know.”

“Maybe tickles?” He suggested.

“Sure, I guess I like to tickle you.”

He took a deep breath and then his face looked very brave. “Okay. You can tickle me.”

I hesitated, but then I realized he was holding his breath so I quickly tickled him a bit half-heartedly and said, “Um, tickle tickle tickle good?”

He giggled and crumpled out of my arm’s reach. “Good. Now you will have a good day.”. He quickly ran to the next room and yelled to his mom, “Mom, what is your favorite thing to do with me or to me?”

“Why?” His mom asked.

“Just what is it? I’m making sure everyone wakes up with their favorite things so they will have a good day and we can ALL have a good day.”

Just then Lydia came walking in yawning and asked, “why did I wake up with a stack of books on my head?”

“Oh,” I nodded, “That must have been your brother.”

“What?”

“You will have to ask him when he is done giving your mother hugs and kisses. Basically, we all woke up inside my dream and I’m so so sorry.”

She shook her head and walked back towards her bed, “I don’t understand this family sometimes…”