Getting up on the wrong side of bed?

This expression means that one starts the day feeling tired, unhappy, uncomfortable, or grumpy. Interestingly, it has an equivalent in the French language that goes like this: “Se lever du pied gauche” which translate to “Getting up on the left foot”, left being culturally associated with “wrong”. In Quebec, the translation is literal and goes like this: “se lever du mauvais coté du lit…” 

Now, back to the French saying, to get up from the left foot would suggest that one member of a couple sleeps on the right side of the bed, and that the first foot to land at dawn would be the left. This would suggest a really bad day for a right-footed individual and conversely a good one for a lefty like me. 

So for couples or singles with only one side available to exit their bed, they need to choose wisely how to orient their laying position (head vs. toes) in their bed. When I thought about that issue, I was pleased to realize that I’m lucky because I sleep on the right hand side of the bed, land my left (good) foot every morning and my right-footed wife, sleeping on the other side gets the same positive benefit. 

 Unfortunately this has not always been the case in close to 50 years of matrimony. While it’s been true for the last 20 years, we had at least 15 years when it was the opposite (we don’t recall the others, as we’ve moved a dozen time since we’re together), and I must say that before this present state of total bliss, it’s wasn’t always perfect. 

As for you, dear reader, are you getting up on the right or wrong side of the bed?