I’ve discovered that I like showering at night.

One evening I was feeling particularly bad about myself. It was one of those times when I decided to skip exercising and eat an entire Milky Way Midnight instead. I looked in the mirror and just felt…ugh. Even though it was already getting late, instead of plopping into bed like that I decided to adhere to a saying I learned from a cancer organization: “Look good, feel better.” I started by taking a shower. Next I did an exfoliation of my face, shaved my legs and arms, and lathered myself up with body cream. I blow-dried my hair. I put on a cute nightgown instead of my usual PJ pants and tank top. I scrubbed and moisturized my hands, which get dried out from washing and sanitizing a hundred times a day. Finally, I put on some lip gloss.

After all that, I was tired. But I looked in the mirror, and I felt better. I slipped into bed and drifted off into a happy dream. When David came to join me a little while later, he nestled up to me and whispered in my half-sleep, “I love it when you shower at night. You smell good all over!”

I’ve been following the same routine ever since.