This morning my dad woke me up at 6 am to run.

I asked if we could do our mile in the afternoon, conveniently forgetting in that moment of semi consciousness that I was scheduled to babysit this afternoon into the night.

After brushing off my dad, I didn’t get up until 9:15. At 10, I was dropping my puppy off with her foster family. They are sweet enough to look after her while I’m in Alaska this semester.

By sleeping in, I wasted the last few hours I had with my dog until May. Half an hour in and the day was off to a bad start.

As I struggled to pack and get through my To Do list, I realized running was not going to fit into my schedule before work. I did laundry, made lunch, and completely packed my suitcase, but my mile didn’t happen.

I did get some time with my grandparents, which was a highlight.

(I did run at midnight when I got home, but I only did half a mile. I’m counting it as not breaking the run streak. Shout-out to my bestie who ran with me and is the best in the world.)

Later, on my way to babysit, I realized that this morning had been my second-to-last chance to run with my dad for 4 months. I skipped that quality time, with one of the most important people in my life, to sleep in.

Don’t get me wrong, I love sleep. I think it’s important to value and prioritize rest. Missing my run with my dad, though, is something I will regret for much longer than I would have regretted missing those hours of sleep.

I chose to change my morning routine, and I’m still feeling guilty about it as I write this post. (Also technically not on time.)

I think cutting myself some slack is necessary at times, but I’ll be holding on to my guilt and regret about today for a while.

I need the reminder that my routine is important for a reason.

Remembering today will help get me out of bed at 6 am tomorrow.

Goodnight.