by Elizabeth Spannuth

I need a new bed. One might think that the choice to get a new bed would be a no-brainer, but I am discovering that my attachment to my luxurious double pillow top friend is deeper than I ever knew. This was the first brand new bed that I can remember having. For 13 years it has given me hours of excellent rest and rejuvenation, as well as serving as a platform for various carnal delights. This impending change has me thinking about everything this bed and I have been through together: the good, the bad and the ugly. Through marriage, divorce, boyfriends, friends with benefits, and celibacy this bed has always been a refuge and an excellent partner. And this bed is not just for humans: it has also provided a refuge for my human-size dogs and panther-like cat. They will slip into the bedroom when they don’t want to be disturbed. I often walk in on them catching a nap complete with their heads on the pillow.

If I feel depleted and worn out, I know I can sink into my friend’s loving embrace and wake-up feeling refreshed and rebooted. If I feel frisky, I know it will provide a king size playground that allowed for all types of action. When I was dating, I always preferred to sleep at my house so I could be in my own bed. When I am away from home, my mind starts to long for the comfort of my bed, along with my body, which starts to scream at me after a few days. It doesn’t care which state we live in or what kind of house we live in. Unlike some of the people that have shared it with me, the bed’s love is unconditional.

So it was with a heavy heart that I started the process of looking for a relationship with a new bed. At first I was looking at replacing it with exactly the same thing. No need to take too many chances, right? Then I started looking at some of the array of new materials on the market. Memory foam, eco-latex, hybrids materials – it’s like a whole new world out there! I was filled with hope and joy. Could it be that I might find something even better than what I had before?!

Some studies estimate that we spend 1/3 of our lives sleeping, which means that I have spent the equivalent of 1500 days in this bed. It is no wonder that I am having some heartburn about parting with my sanctuary. At certain points, looking at new beds has a small part of me filled with doubt and a bit like I am being unfaithful or unappreciative…Am I forsaking all that has come before? Will I still remember the good times we have had together? Will my pets forgive me?

The cold hard truth is it’s time to part ways. I have slowly admitted to myself that I have some aches and pains that are related to having a worn out mattress and this doesn’t make me a bad person. I am grateful for its unselfish years of service, however, if we stayed together it would literally cause me pain and that’s not healthy for any relationship. I must bravely venture forth from the safety of this refuge to find the new refuge that is waiting for me to welcome it into my life. I will always love you! *sniff*

Elizabeth Spannuthbelieves in love as a driving force in our lives. She is continually amazed by the humor at work in the universe and approaches things with a wry witticism. She firmly believes that love takes many forms as she herself has had many different kinds of meaningful, relationships.  She has said “I do” and signed “I don’t” and thanks the powers that be for giving her the grace learn from every experience. She has a varied professional background that includes performing arts training, event planning, sales and marketing planning and execution and serving as a whipping girl in corporate America. She is currently the Love Evangelist at Good Clean Love.