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Welcome to Sleepy Shorts Short Stories for
Bedtime. This podcast is brought to you

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by I have a story to tell
you that will help take your mind off

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all of your worries and cares.
Just listen and relax, then drift peacefully

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into sleep. It's time to turn
off the lights and snuggle into your bed.

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Find your most comfortable position there.
Now take a few seconds to relax

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your mind. It's time to sleep. Time to rest and rejuvenate our minds

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and bodies. In order to prepare
our bodies for sleep, let's do a

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couple of muscle relaxation and breathing exercises. I want you to inhale for account

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of three, and while doing so, tighten all of your muscles and inhale

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one two, three, Hold your
breath, keep your muscles tense. Now

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exhale to account of six. While
you relax all of your muscles one two,

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three, four, five six,
feel your body sinking deeper into your

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bed. Let's do this one more
time. Take a deep three second breath

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as you tighten your muscles, hold
it now, relax and exhale to account

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of six. Let your body sink
even deeper into your bed. Now it's

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time for your sleepy short let me
help you fall asleep the gardens. As

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I pull into the vast parking lot
awaiting the day's guests, I am greeted

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by a smattering of deep green,
weeping willows that line the gravel road to

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the gardens. Our head of security
waves at me with a warm smile.

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It's just the two of us this
early in the morning, him to prepare

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for the busy day ahead, and
me to enjoy the peace and tranquility of

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the gardens before the guests arrive.
Though I have worked at these gardens for

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years, I know that I have
never truly seen everything. The gardens have

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to offer. Each morning is as
unique as the one before it, providing

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an amazing experience every single day.
I decide to start at the back of

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the gardens this morning, eager for
the sounds of the bird sanctuary to breathe

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life into my soul. The bird
sanctuary is unique to these gardens, situated

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at the back of the property.
It was never meant to have a home

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here. Still, the owner could
not deny her young daughter a chance to

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nurse an injured robin back to health. She found it while dancing between the

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trees on one of her childhood adventures, and was immediately taken by its innocence

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and grace. The young girl's spirited
personality was matched only by her kind and

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gentle nature. She soon convinced her
mother to build a special place for the

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bird to rest and heal. It
didn't take long for the sanctuary to grow

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into what it is today, a
refuge for birds of all shapes and sizes

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that fills the expanse of two football
fields. It is the embodiment of the

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young girl's kindness and compassion for all
living things. It serves as a reminder

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to be gentle, to do what's
right, and to love without condition.

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I hear the sanctuary before I see
it. I walk slowly among the calling

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birds who greet the day with their
angelic songs. A red tailed hawk takes

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off from its perch and sails towards
the clouds. Its wings effortlessly hold its

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place in the sky as its soars
above the others. I watch it intently

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as it flies away, anxiously awaiting
its reunion with its mate. On the

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other side of the sanctuary, two
scarlet macaws covered in decadent reds, blues

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and yellows are the next to greet
me. Their morning love songs have already

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been sung, and they bask in
the warmth of the rising sun. I

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silently thank the birds for their harmony
as I make my way towards the flower

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garden. The sweet smell of lavender
greets me as I walk past the vibrant

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purple flowers blossoming on each side of
the walkway. Their bright green leaves dangle

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lightly into my path, tickling my
ankles. As I walk past, I

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run my hand gently through a smattering
of freesias that stick out just above a

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stunning arrangement of hydrangeas. Warm reds, deep purples, and pure whites paint

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a horizon made for the halls of
a museum. The floral scents and cool

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breeze create a soothing sense of peace
and serenity. Daffodils, lilacs, and

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daisies sprawl across the flower beds in
front of me, petals reaching out towards

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the warmth of the sun. I
can feel it too, my posture standing

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a little trader the longer the sun
shines on my head. I pause before

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the stunning horizon and allow myself to
take in all that this moment has to

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offer. I am grateful to be
surrounded by the beauty of the floral arrangements

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before me. I close my eyes
and take in a deep breath. I

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allow the scent of the roses and
butterfly bushes to wash over me, reminding

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me that life is experienced in these
small moments. The fountains of the water

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Garden babble nearby, inviting me to
join them in their stunning display of tranquil

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beauty. Fifty fountains call the water
garden their home, providing the nearby animals

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a safe place to come and rejuvenate. I follow the steady trickle, watching

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the water cascade effortlessly into the crystal
clear pond waiting beneath. Coi and goldfish

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snake their way through the rippling water
as they wait patiently for their morning snack.

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They weave their way through tall green
grasses, under small flowering lily pads,

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and a gray stone bridge designed precisely
for moments like these, just to

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watch and enjoy their serenity. The
largest fountain stands tall and striking at the

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center of the water garden. A
young stone woman perches just above the pond

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Beneath her, she wears a gown
emblazoned with deep red, green, and

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blue stones. A crown of gold
sits atop her head, pointing towards the

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sky. Though her presence is strong
and prominent, as if she were royalty,

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her head is bent down towards the
glassy pond. She stares intently into

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the water, as if looking at
her own reflection. Both intrigues and frightens

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her. While many pass her by
without a second glance, I find that

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the stillness of her gaze pulls me
into her world. I remain still in

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the moments I spend with her,
allowing myself the time I need to reflect

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and feel gratitude before moving on to
the next part of the gardens. Rich

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pine trees and lush maples line the
gravel covered paths that wind their way through

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the woods. Here they provide homes
to the critters that play amongst the shady

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canopies high above the ground. To
many who visit the gardens, these woods

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are the playground. Stumbling toddlers and
love struck teenagers walk the woods with similar

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awe and wonder. These woods feel
like stepping into the middle of a fairy

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tale. Right down to the bird
house, castles and fairy houses speckled between

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the trees. It is here that
I imagine being one with the woods that

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surround me, roaming the grounds freely
to ensure that all creatures large and small

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are loved and cared for. A
squirrel dances gracefully down the path, giving

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no sign of apprehension at all.
The light brown creature pauses to sit on

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its hind legs, peering at the
ground in front of me. A small

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acorn lies dormant at my feet,
waiting patiently for the tiny squirrel to take

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and store it. Carefully. I
move to the side, allowing my squirrel

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friend enough room to scamper the rest
of the way down the trail to retrieve

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its prize. I smile as I
start back on my journey down the path.

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The crunch of the thick gravel beneath
my feet the only noise that accompanies

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me as I make my way towards
the conservatory this early in the morning.

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The Conservatory is an oasis for calm
and tranquility. Split into seven sections,

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the conservatory provides a small taste of
green life from every corner of the globe.

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The Rainforest Room is my favorite.
This tropical paradise contains hundreds of plants

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boasting bright colors and bold textures.
Pineapple and banana trees tower over the bright

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ferns and harvest moon shrubs that make
up the forest floor. The humidity of

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the room is warm and inviting.
For a moment, I believe I'm in

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the rainforest, surrounded by its elegance
and ever present harmony. I allow myself

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to pause in the moment, breaking
down the apprehension stuck on my bones from

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the evening before. The Bonsye room
is a mere ten steps from the rainforest,

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bringing with it a sense of admiration
and amazement that I have yet to

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find anywhere else. Bonsai is both
an art form and an incredible teacher.

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Discipline, balance, patience, and
peace can all be found in the short

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branches and pruned leaves on each and
every bonsai tree. They embody all that

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is good in nature and the world, bringing harmony and order to those who

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find themselves mastering its art. With
everything these gardens have to offer, it

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is the bonsai trees that ground me
most in the moment. The meadows sit

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just beyond the conservatory and signify the
end of my mourning ritual. Here among

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the expansive wild flowers and tall grasses
is where I do my best thinking.

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With nothing but the meadow in front
of me, I allow my mind to

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fill with the vivid colors, aromatic
smells, and lively visions of love and

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tenderness that my morning walk has gifted
to me. As if the expansiveness of

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the meadow prompts my thoughts, allowing
me the space I need to feel my

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most creative. My body sheds the
heavy blanket of anxiety from the day before,

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and I feel more myself than I
have since the last time I stepped

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foot amongst these brambles and bluebells.
It is impossible to truly appreciate all that

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these gardens have to offer, but
they are a daily reminder that beauty and

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harmony still exist in this world.
Everything that feels wrong or off balance feels

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suddenly righted, and I can finally
breathe good night, ah