Olivia the ostrich was the busiest bird in the whole wide savanna. She zoomed here, she dashed there, she never, ever slowed down. Even when the sun began to dip low, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple, Olivia was still racing around, collecting shiny pebbles and practicing her fastest running sprints. Her mama, Olda, would call, “Olivia, dear, it’s almost bedtime!” But Olivia would just wave a wing and shout, “Just one more lap, Mama! Just one more pebble!”
Olda sighed. She loved Olivia’s energy, but bedtime was always a struggle. Olivia would try to do *everything* at once – brush her feathers, tell stories to her stuffed giraffe, Gerald, and plan all her adventures for the next day – all while bouncing on her strong legs. It meant she was always tired *before* she even got into bed. Tonight was no different. Olivia was attempting to build a tower of pebbles while simultaneously trying to remember what she’d eaten for breakfast.
“Olivia,” Olda said gently, sitting beside her. “You seem a little…scattered. What’s on your mind?”
Olivia stopped, a pebble wobbling precariously on top of the tower. “Everything!” she exclaimed. “I need to finish this tower, and I need to tell Gerald about the amazing cloud I saw, and I need to think about tomorrow’s race with Finley the flamingo! And I need to… I need to…” Her voice trailed off as she realized she was starting to feel overwhelmed.
Olda smiled. “Sometimes, when we try to do too much at once, we forget to enjoy the quiet moments. Bedtime is a special time for calming down and getting ready for sweet dreams. Let’s try something different tonight.”
Olda suggested a bedtime routine. First, they carefully put away the pebbles. Then, Olivia slowly brushed each of her soft, fluffy feathers, taking deep breaths with each stroke. Olda read a story about a sleepy sloth, and Olivia snuggled close, listening to the gentle rhythm of her mama’s voice. She told Gerald about the cloud, one detail at a time, savoring each memory.
“Now,” Olda said, “let’s think about tomorrow, but just one thing. What’s the *most* exciting part?”
Olivia thought for a moment. “Racing Finley!” she said with a small smile. “But I don’t need to plan the whole race right now. I can just look forward to it.”
As Olivia lay in bed, she realized something amazing. She wasn’t bouncing or rushing or feeling frantic. She felt…peaceful. The savanna sounds – the chirping crickets, the distant hoot of an owl – seemed clearer and more soothing. She closed her eyes, and for the first time in a long time, she drifted off to sleep without a single thought racing through her head.
The next morning, Olivia woke up feeling refreshed and ready for anything. She still had plenty of energy, but it was a calm, focused energy. She even had time to enjoy a leisurely breakfast with her mama before her race with Finley. And when she raced, she ran with joy, not with frantic speed. Olivia had learned that sometimes, the best way to get ready for a busy day is to slow down and enjoy a peaceful bedtime.