Richard Bewes - The Goodnight Book

I'M LIKE A LITTLE CHILD, I said to my friend, Ken Taylor. I just don't like bedtime at the moment!

Millions would concur with my experience at some point in their lives. The action-packed day that makes winding down difficult, the fear of what tomorrow may bring; pressures on the marriage, in the workplace or family; decisions looming ahead, the heaviness of grief - or the sheer trauma of moving house!

On this occasion for me it was a health challenge. It can be very reassuring to have a world-travelled professor of heart surgery visiting you as the dreaded evening begins to close in. Ken Taylor was wearing a dark suit that I could only describe as formidable. Evidently he was on his way to an important appointment. He nodded and smiled at my remark. He was all sympathy.

You're never forgotten, he declared. And before we part, I'll share something with you to boost your spirits and help you along.

But I'll save what Ken Taylor imparted to me until chapter 14.

Meanwhile, The Goodnight Book is intended for well, pretty well anybody of whatever philosophical or cultural background. It's said by psychologists that the last thing we think about at night tends to stay with us, and become a part of the subconscious, thus affecting our mental and emotional make-up. So here it is, one page at a time - one word of truth per evening! Or less frequently if preferred.

Pressure at work, then? moving house? health concerns? bereavement of one's spouse? traumatic decisions? They've all happened to me. And usually it is at night that I tend to have been at my most fragile.

I am grateful to Linda Nikitin and her sister Kath in Michigan, USA, for their helpful checks and warm encouragements in the writing of this book.

I wish you peaceful reading.

RICHARD BEWES
West London, England