110 Comments
User's avatar
Brenda Gaughan's avatar

Love this : Sometimes you wake up at four-thirty in the morning with a surge of energy and no cows to milk. So true and so funny. Love your solution. Love you.

Abigail Thomas's avatar

Thank you, Brenda. It does happen like that sometimes.

The Kitchen Cynk's avatar

I think many writers have experienced this but finding the words to say it is a superpower.

Abigail Thomas's avatar

Oh, you, Cyn. Not a superpwer, I don't have any superpower, but I love that you said that.

Bridget Young's avatar

Imagining waking at 4:30am and finding this. Instantly soothing. Thank you.

Abigail Thomas's avatar

Thank you very much.

Holly Starley's avatar

To being ready to receive 💕

Phyllis Robinson's avatar

I experienced this when I was writing. I undoubtedly was thinking or dreaming about something one of my characters said. I decided that he would have said something different. I got up and wrote down what I was thinking and went back to sleep.

✨ Prajna O'Hara ✨'s avatar

To tip your hat and pay homage. So good thank you for reminding me why I wake up at ungodly hours. Sometimes it’s to speak with my dream maker.

Beautiful as ever.

Abigail Thomas's avatar

Thank you, Prajna.

Margaret Bennett's avatar

Perfection Abigail.

Abigail Thomas's avatar

Thank you very much.

Susan Ritz's avatar

Thank you! Exactly what I needed today.

Abigail Thomas's avatar

Oh good, I love that, Susan.

Karen J's avatar

When my eyes open at 4:30 AM and I’m wide awake and I check my email and there’s a message from Abigail Thomas, I know why I woke up.

No better reason.

Thank you, Abigail.

Di's avatar

I do the same!

Abigail Thomas's avatar

Oh wow, that's awfully nice. Thank you.

Maureen C. Berry's avatar

I will listen to the silence tonight and if anything magical happens, I'll report back.

Abigail Thomas's avatar

Definitely do that, rhank you.

GINNY ROWAN's avatar

Wow you make it sound like such a gift. I’m agitated and worrying at that moment. It’s too early

To start with the dogs etc. maybe I can rethink it like you do. I’ll try tonight. Cus I know at some point - usually 2-4- I will be up staring at the window. Thanks Abby

Abigail Thomas's avatar

So see what walks into you head. See what pops into your mind. Write what you can't do, feed the dogs, all the things it's too early to do, see what shows up instead.

GINNY ROWAN's avatar

I’ve never looked forward to not being able

To

Fall back asleep. What a way to

Reframe!

Sue Sutherland-Wood's avatar

I agree Ginny! When I wake up I am often quaking with extremely random anxiety. (Especially during a wretched full moon!) Next time I will try to think of these cows lol!

Abigail Thomas's avatar

so write about the fucking moon and why it is scaring you. it is scary, I agree. But why? why?

Sue Sutherland-Wood's avatar

An artist friend always says that the Full Moon affects us just as it does the tides, because at the end of the day, we are just "pillars of fluid" as well. I don't know if that's what happens but it certainly affects my sleep and peace of mind. Sleep well tonight Abby!! xo

Abigail Thomas's avatar

"pillars of fluid?" even when we're llying down? Now I've want to think about being a pillar of fluid. Pillar sounds a bit more unassailable than I feel, until I get to the fluid part. Hmmm...

GINNY ROWAN's avatar

Yes we all

Should be milking cows!

Abigail Thomas's avatar

unless we're already too old to learn how. Although it might be fun to learn, I bet I could do it right off the bat. Been pregnant so many times, I think I could. No, just boasting about nothing at all. Maybe I should watch a vidoe about miling =cows before they were attached (shudder) to those machines. I hope they can still find peasure in geing milked. I know I did, back in the day.

GINNY ROWAN's avatar

When my Norwegian husband first came to America, he worked on a dairy farm in Minnesota with a distant cousin. He said what he learned was there’s gotta be a better way to live.

Abigail Thomas's avatar

hahaha, I like him.

Beth Kephart's avatar

gorgeous. when you are awake at that hour, send a signal to me. I will be on vigil with you, waiting for what comes.

Abigail Thomas's avatar

Thank you, Beth. I will do just that.

Lea Page's avatar

I love this so much. I'm learning this-- to let it come to me instead of reaching.

Abigail Thomas's avatar

Yeah, reaching or thinking. Thinking fucks everything up when you're trying to receive.And thank you very much.

Launa's avatar

Thank you, Abigail Thomas. Sometimes I despair when whiffs of AI emmanate from much of Substack, but then there's a new post from you and I get to read something very real and very good, and my faith in humanity is restored. Thank you. Sending you love for those 4:30am moments.

Abigail Thomas's avatar

Thank you. Sending you love too, and a pox on AI.

Gari Gold Richardson's avatar

Unlucky cows. How sweet and funny.

Abigail Thomas's avatar

Thank you, that was pretty funny,

Dawn Levitt's avatar

Love this. Those wee hour missives are the best time for inspiration to strike.

Abigail Thomas's avatar

It's so funny, isn't it? Those odd hours when you should be asleep but something wakes you up fresh as a daisy, and you have to figure out why!

Dawn Levitt's avatar

I accept it as a communication from the muse and get out a notebook.