Latest / Abide Meditation App / The Coziest Sleepy Story _ A Warm Nap in the Sun _ Dreamy Bedtime Story for Grown Ups

Transcript

The Coziest Sleepy Story _ A Warm Nap in the Sun _ Dreamy Bedtime Story for Grown Ups · Abide Meditation App

0:02
Speaker 1: Welcome to Get Sleepy, the podcast where we listen, we relax,
0:10
Speaker 1: and we get sleepy. I'm your host, Tom, and thank
0:16
Speaker 1: you so much for tuning in. Tonight, we meet a
0:21
Speaker 1: friendly Labrador named Rosa, who lives at a hotel. After
0:27
Speaker 1: spending time with her owners and greeting the guests, it
0:31
Speaker 1: will be time for a nap. Her favorite spot is
0:36
Speaker 1: a windowsill in the sun overlooking a peaceful canal. And
0:42
Speaker 1: this story is actually inspired by a real dog in
0:45
Speaker 1: Belgium who took his naps in a scenic spot too.
0:51
Speaker 1: He was popular with tourists and he became known as
0:55
Speaker 1: the most photographed dog in Bruges. You might wonder why
1:01
Speaker 1: a sleeping dog was such a memorable moment, but perhaps
1:05
Speaker 1: it's that he simply helped people understand the pleasure of
1:10
Speaker 1: slowing down. Let's prepare for tonight's story by reminding ourselves
1:19
Speaker 1: of how it feels to have a great night's sleep.
1:25
Speaker 1: Take a deep breath in. Hold at the top and
1:35
Speaker 1: slowly exhale back out. As you continue to breathe at
1:44
Speaker 1: an easy, relaxed pace, try thinking back to a time
1:50
Speaker 1: when you had a really great night's sleep. One of
1:56
Speaker 1: those sleeps That just comes to you without any effort
2:01
Speaker 1: or trepidation. And makes you feel all the better when
2:07
Speaker 1: you wake up in the morning. Where were you when
2:14
Speaker 1: you experienced that great sleep? Was there something about the
2:21
Speaker 1: bed or the space around you that made you feel
2:25
Speaker 1: deeply relaxed and comfortable? Perhaps it was the events of
2:34
Speaker 1: your day that left you with a luxuriously calm and
2:38
Speaker 1: sleepy feeling where laying down and letting your head sink
2:44
Speaker 1: into the pillow becomes irresistible. In your mind, take yourself
2:56
Speaker 1: back to that time. Try to reconnect with that sense
3:04
Speaker 1: of deep and easy relaxation. Enjoy the feeling of comfort
3:14
Speaker 1: that you have right now as your mind reminisces. and
3:24
Speaker 1: remember how you felt when you woke up after that sleep.
3:33
Speaker 1: Perhaps you continued to feel deeply relaxed, and you approached
3:38
Speaker 1: the morning gently and calmly. Or, of course, you may
3:47
Speaker 1: have felt completely full of life, teeming with positive energy,
3:54
Speaker 1: ready to make the most of the day ahead. That's
4:02
Speaker 1: the power of a good night's sleep. And though not
4:07
Speaker 1: all of us experience it quite as often as we
4:10
Speaker 1: might like, when we do sleep well and wake up refreshed,
4:17
Speaker 1: the experience is something that we can cherish and appreciate.
4:28
Speaker 1: I'm hopeful that you'll have a night full of deep,
4:32
Speaker 1: rejuvenating sleep. So, without any pressure, simply follow the sound
4:42
Speaker 1: of my voice and this charming story about Rosa, a
4:50
Speaker 1: Labrador who knows exactly how to slow down and rest.
5:21
Speaker 1: Rosa the Labrador wakes up slowly. She opens her eyes
5:28
Speaker 1: and then stretches out her body so her back and
5:33
Speaker 1: limbs become looser. When she awakes after a long sleep,
5:39
Speaker 1: she's so relaxed that even her golden fur feels softer
5:45
Speaker 1: than usual. She's lying on the bed of her owners,
5:52
Speaker 1: a couple in their fifties. The man and woman get
5:58
Speaker 1: up early in the morning to work at the hotel,
6:02
Speaker 1: which is where they live. And as soon as one
6:06
Speaker 1: of them gets up, leaving an open spot on the bed,
6:11
Speaker 1: so too does Rosa. She stands up from the cushion
6:16
Speaker 1: on the floor, and jumps onto the king-sized bed of
6:21
Speaker 1: her owners. Although her own bed is comfortable too, she'd
6:28
Speaker 1: rather be up here. The mattress is thicker, and it's
6:36
Speaker 1: so warm and cozy. She loves breathing in the scent
6:42
Speaker 1: of her owner. When there's enough space, She likes to
6:48
Speaker 1: curl up right in the middle of the bed, where
6:52
Speaker 1: it's still warm from their body heat. This morning, the
7:00
Speaker 1: man got up earlier, leaving his partner to have a lie-in. Now,
7:07
Speaker 1: the woman is finally ready to wake up too. But
7:12
Speaker 1: Rosa doesn't want her to leave. until they've had their
7:17
Speaker 1: usual morning ritual. She nestles up beside the woman and
7:24
Speaker 1: then rolls onto her back, waiting for belly rubs. For
7:32
Speaker 1: the next few minutes, Rosa lies there with her eyes closed,
7:39
Speaker 1: enjoying the warmth of the bed and the relaxing sensations
7:44
Speaker 1: of her belly being rubbed. It's like a soothing massage.
7:51
Speaker 1: She could spend the whole morning like this. Rosa gets
7:59
Speaker 1: a final affectionate scratch behind the ear before the woman
8:04
Speaker 1: gets up and gets ready to begin her day. Although
8:11
Speaker 1: Rosa wishes her owner would stay a little longer at
8:15
Speaker 1: least she now has the entire bed to herself. She
8:21
Speaker 1: stretches out luxuriantly, taking up all the space and absorbing
8:30
Speaker 1: the warmth. Her owners haven't always allowed her to climb
8:38
Speaker 1: onto the bed. Long ago, when she was still a puppy,
8:44
Speaker 1: the man would often say no. But as soon as
8:49
Speaker 1: he left the room, the woman would allow Rosa to
8:53
Speaker 1: snuggle up beside her. And now, years later, Rosa is
9:00
Speaker 1: allowed into the bed every morning. It's part of her
9:06
Speaker 1: daily routine, like the belly rubs and walks, and her
9:12
Speaker 1: afternoon nap. on the windowsill Rosa drifts off to sleep
9:21
Speaker 1: again dreaming of the nap she'll take later when she's
9:27
Speaker 1: not sleeping she's thinking about sleeping she's an old dog
9:34
Speaker 1: now and she spends most of her time napping or
9:39
Speaker 1: relaxing on the most comfortable surface she can find She
9:46
Speaker 1: no longer has the desire to play for hours, as
9:50
Speaker 1: she did when she was a puppy, and her walks
9:54
Speaker 1: are shorter now. But other things remain unchanged, like her appetite.
10:06
Speaker 1: After dozing for a while, she wakes up again and
10:10
Speaker 1: becomes aware of her stomach rumbling. She knows she can't
10:17
Speaker 1: expect breakfast in bed. so she'll have to get up
10:22
Speaker 1: and head downstairs to the kitchen. Rosa stretches contentedly one
10:32
Speaker 1: last time and then climbs down from the bed onto
10:38
Speaker 1: the plush carpet. As soon as she leaves the bedroom,
10:45
Speaker 1: she sniffs and catches the scent of her breakfast Rosa's
10:54
Speaker 1: nose is incredibly powerful. Her sense of smell is thousands
11:01
Speaker 1: of times more sensitive than a human's. So when she
11:08
Speaker 1: sniffs the air, it's not only breakfast that she smells.
11:14
Speaker 1: She's also aware of countless other odors. There's the fresh,
11:21
Speaker 1: clean smell of the carpet. Then, there's one of the
11:27
Speaker 1: hotel guests' perfume, which still lingers in the air, even
11:33
Speaker 1: though the woman has already gone. Further away, Rosa can
11:41
Speaker 1: also smell coffee and the familiar scent of both her owners.
11:49
Speaker 1: She doesn't mind them being out of sight, as long
11:53
Speaker 1: as she can smell them. she likes knowing that they're nearby.
12:02
Speaker 1: But as she continues to sniff, she realizes that she
12:07
Speaker 1: can sense something else. It's faint, but unmistakable. With her
12:19
Speaker 1: nose to the ground, she follows the scent all the
12:23
Speaker 1: way down the hall. and down the winding carpeted stairs.
12:32
Speaker 1: When she reaches the hotel reception, the smell gets stronger.
12:39
Speaker 1: She's getting closer and closer. And there, behind a potted
12:48
Speaker 1: plant on the floor, is a piece of cheese. Her
12:54
Speaker 1: owners often leave little treats like this hidden around the hotel.
13:02
Speaker 1: It never takes her long to find them. Rosa devours
13:08
Speaker 1: the piece of strong salty cheese in one bite and
13:14
Speaker 1: then heads towards the kitchen. The cheese was delicious, but
13:21
Speaker 1: now she's even hungrier. After a hearty breakfast of kibble
13:31
Speaker 1: and a drink of fresh, cool water, Rosa is ready
13:36
Speaker 1: for the next part of her morning routine. She likes
13:42
Speaker 1: to follow her owner as he goes round the hotel,
13:47
Speaker 1: up and down the stairs, and along every hallway. Although
13:54
Speaker 1: she doesn't understand what he's doing, She's happy to keep
13:58
Speaker 1: him company. She likes to think that she's helping in
14:03
Speaker 1: some way. Every now and then, she gets rewarded with
14:09
Speaker 1: a pat, and sometimes even a treat. This walk around
14:17
Speaker 1: the hotel also gives Rosa the chance to investigate some
14:22
Speaker 1: more smells. She sniffs the walls and carpet and tries
14:29
Speaker 1: to detect any subtle changes. She's curious about new smells. Once,
14:40
Speaker 1: she remembers there was a family who seemed to have
14:44
Speaker 1: traveled from far away. They looked tired, standing in reception
14:51
Speaker 1: next to a huge pile of bags and cases. When
14:57
Speaker 1: Rosa came to greet them, she smelled so many wonderful
15:02
Speaker 1: new scents. One of them was a dusty, earthy aroma,
15:10
Speaker 1: but it was nothing like the smells she was used to.
15:16
Speaker 1: This one was all mixed up with unfamiliar herbal fragrances
15:22
Speaker 1: and something warm and smoky. She was so fascinated by
15:29
Speaker 1: these new smells that she stayed right next to the guests,
15:35
Speaker 1: sniffing their shoes and their luggage. At last, one of
15:43
Speaker 1: Rosa's owners called to her from behind the reception desk.
15:49
Speaker 1: But the guests had been kind and friendly. Rosa remembered
15:55
Speaker 1: that too. Everyone who came to the hotel was always
16:01
Speaker 1: happy to see her. Rosa continues on her morning rounds,
16:11
Speaker 1: following the man into the dining room on the ground floor.
16:17
Speaker 1: It's a beautiful, airy room that smells of flowers, as
16:24
Speaker 1: well as the remnants of breakfast. Rosa can still smell
16:30
Speaker 1: the warm, comforting scent of coffee and toast. But what
16:40
Speaker 1: interests her about this room is not the lingering aroma
16:44
Speaker 1: of breakfast or even the leftover crumbs on the carpet.
16:51
Speaker 1: For Rosa, the best thing about this room is the windows.
17:00
Speaker 1: Beneath the large central window is a cushioned bench, which
17:06
Speaker 1: is where the guests sometimes sit. Just above the bench
17:12
Speaker 1: is a broad windowsill made of wood, also covered with
17:17
Speaker 1: a large cushion. This is Rose's spot. She follows her owner,
17:28
Speaker 1: as he kneels on the bench and opens the windows
17:31
Speaker 1: outwards to let in the fresh morning air. It's a
17:38
Speaker 1: beautiful spring day, and the air still feels a little crisp.
17:45
Speaker 1: Rosa will come back here later in the early afternoon.
17:51
Speaker 1: When the sun is shining directly on the window, she'll
17:55
Speaker 1: enjoy a nap in the warmth of its light. But
18:02
Speaker 1: for now, she can't resist a quick look out of
18:06
Speaker 1: the window. The man moves to the side, so there's
18:12
Speaker 1: space for her. She joins him on the bench, placing
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Speaker 1: her front paws outside on the windowsill. The view from
18:27
Speaker 1: this spot is one of the best in the town.
18:32
Speaker 1: It looks directly out onto a canal, and sometimes boats
18:38
Speaker 1: pass right below. Across the canal is an old ivy-covered
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Speaker 1: stone wall. The tops of the trees are visible in
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Speaker 1: the opposite garden. their leaves rustling in the wind and
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Speaker 1: birds twittering in the branches. Further along is a red
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Speaker 1: brick building with open windows that belong to a bakery.
19:14
Speaker 1: At this time in the morning, Rosa can still smell
19:18
Speaker 1: the delicious scent of the bread and pastries fresh from
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Speaker 1: the oven. Her powerful nose can distinguish each individual ingredient.
19:32
Speaker 1: She could list them all. The smell of butter, sugar,
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Speaker 1: honey and caramel. Then there's chocolate, cinnamon, almonds, even roasted pear.
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Speaker 1: She sniffs wistfully and then turns towards her owner. His
20:00
Speaker 1: eyes are closed and he's breathing in deeply, savoring the fragrances.
20:09
Speaker 1: When he opens his eyes, He looks at her and smiles.
20:16
Speaker 1: He strokes her affectionately, his hand moving slowly from the
20:23
Speaker 1: top of her head, then right down her neck and back.
20:30
Speaker 1: She loves the warm, comforting weight of his hand. She
20:36
Speaker 1: wags her tail happily and rubs her head against him.
20:41
Speaker 1: to show her appreciation later she hopes he'll take her
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Speaker 1: for a walk they usually walk through the town center
20:56
Speaker 1: or they go to the nearby park so Rosa can
20:59
Speaker 1: meet other dogs but she understands that her owner has
21:05
Speaker 1: to work now she can keep herself busy in the
21:10
Speaker 1: meantime and see what's happening in the garden. At the
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Speaker 1: back of the hotel is a peaceful, walled garden. There
21:25
Speaker 1: are rows of neat flowerbeds on all sides, an old
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Speaker 1: oak tree, and a patio with a bench. Rosa knows
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Speaker 1: every inch of this garden. All the sights and smells
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Speaker 1: are familiar. She has fond memories of her days as
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Speaker 1: a puppy, playing on the grass and learning how to sit,
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Speaker 1: stay and roll over. Her owners would give her treats
22:01
Speaker 1: or make a game of hiding them in the garden.
22:08
Speaker 1: As Rosa wanders across the lawn, sniffing the plants and
22:13
Speaker 1: the flowers, she catches the scent of one of her owners.
22:20
Speaker 1: The woman has come outside too, to sit in the
22:24
Speaker 1: sun and read the newspaper. Rosa comes to sit beside
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Speaker 1: her for a while, content to spend time in her company.
22:39
Speaker 1: She always enjoys the presence of other people, but she's
22:44
Speaker 1: happiest when she's with her owners. The comforting familiarity of
22:51
Speaker 1: their scent is so calming that it sometimes makes her
22:56
Speaker 1: feel sleepy. She could fall asleep right here on the patio. Then,
23:08
Speaker 1: Rosa's owner leans towards her and scratches her gently behind
23:13
Speaker 1: the ears. It has an instant effect. Rosa feels so
23:21
Speaker 1: deeply relaxed that she lies down on the warm stone
23:27
Speaker 1: and rests her head between her paws. Then she closes
23:34
Speaker 1: her eyes. and drifts into a peaceful sleep. A little
23:45
Speaker 1: while later, Rosa is awakened by a distant ringing sound.
23:52
Speaker 1: The bell at the reception desk. This means some guests
23:58
Speaker 1: have arrived, and the woman will have to go to
24:01
Speaker 1: greet them. Rosa likes to meet the new arrivals too.
24:09
Speaker 1: She yawns, stretches, and then follows the woman into the building,
24:16
Speaker 1: her tail wagging. A couple of young men are waiting
24:23
Speaker 1: at reception, and they smile as soon as they see Rosa.
24:30
Speaker 1: One of the men bends down to stroke her, Using
24:35
Speaker 1: both hands, he scratches her head, ears, and neck with
24:42
Speaker 1: genuine affection. This man must have a dog of his own, too.
24:50
Speaker 1: Rosa can detect the scent of another female dog on
24:54
Speaker 1: the man's clothes and skin. She also recognizes the smell
25:02
Speaker 1: of her local park. the familiar fragrance of leaves, earth
25:09
Speaker 1: and daffodils. The man must have walked through the park
25:15
Speaker 1: on his way to the hotel and brought the aroma
25:19
Speaker 1: with him. Rose's understanding of time is closely linked to
25:27
Speaker 1: her sense of smell. Her idea of the past comes
25:33
Speaker 1: from the strength of a scent The lingering smell of
25:38
Speaker 1: the park tells her that the man has been there recently,
25:43
Speaker 1: but it's not as strong as the aromas of the present.
25:51
Speaker 1: As well as the past and present, Rosa can use
25:55
Speaker 1: her sense of smell to recognize the future. Sometimes, she
26:02
Speaker 1: knows who's around the corner or what's about to happen.
26:07
Speaker 1: just from the scent as it's carried through the air.
26:13
Speaker 1: This is her way of understanding the world. Once she's
26:21
Speaker 1: identified all the scents that the new guests have brought
26:25
Speaker 1: with them, she's happy to enjoy the moment. She sits
26:31
Speaker 1: on the floor with her eyes closed, allowing the man
26:36
Speaker 1: to stroke her head and neck over and over again.
26:42
Speaker 1: A simple interaction like this is one of her greatest
26:47
Speaker 1: pleasures in life. It fills her with a sense of
26:53
Speaker 1: blissful relaxation that spreads right through her body. She wags
27:01
Speaker 1: her tail slowly, sweeping it across the floor. After the
27:10
Speaker 1: new guests have checked in, Rosa decides to return to
27:15
Speaker 1: the dining room. She can smell cooking from the nearby kitchen,
27:22
Speaker 1: as her owner is preparing a delicious, garlicky dish. Usually,
27:30
Speaker 1: The cooking aromas coincide with the sunlight reaching the dining
27:34
Speaker 1: room window. Rose is looking forward to having a rest
27:41
Speaker 1: on the windowsill and basking in the sun. She crosses
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Speaker 1: the dining room, stopping to greet a couple of guests
27:54
Speaker 1: on the way. Then, using the bench as a step,
28:00
Speaker 1: she climbs up onto the windowsill and lies down on
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Speaker 1: the large, soft cushion that's positioned by the open window.
28:13
Speaker 1: Most of the cushion is inside the room, but part
28:18
Speaker 1: of it sticks outside in the sunshine. Rosa's owners know
28:26
Speaker 1: that this is exactly how she likes it. Rosa stretches,
28:35
Speaker 1: arching her back, and then settles down on the windowsill.
28:43
Speaker 1: She makes herself comfortable with her head resting on the
28:47
Speaker 1: cushion between her front paws. The rest of her body
28:53
Speaker 1: is also supported by the soft feather cushion, which was
28:58
Speaker 1: a present from her owners many years ago. When she
29:04
Speaker 1: sniffs the fabric, Rosa can still detect the original scent
29:10
Speaker 1: of the material, a delightful fragrance of wood, herbs and flowers.
29:21
Speaker 1: This floral smell is unlike anything in Rose's hometown, so
29:29
Speaker 1: the cushion must have come from far away. Once, the
29:35
Speaker 1: scent seemed strange and exotic. but after all these years
29:42
Speaker 1: of napping on the cushion it now feels wonderfully comforting
29:48
Speaker 1: and familiar and it's mixed with other smells too Rosa
29:56
Speaker 1: can recognize the lavender scent of the laundry detergent, the
30:02
Speaker 1: distinctive aroma of her owners, and even her own smell.
30:12
Speaker 1: Under the gentle rays of the spring sunshine, these smells
30:17
Speaker 1: are heightened. In fact, everything seems more vivid in the
30:24
Speaker 1: warmth and brightness of the sun. Even the colors of
30:30
Speaker 1: the canal appear more intense. Rosa can't perceive the same
30:39
Speaker 1: spectrum of color as her human owners, but that doesn't
30:45
Speaker 1: mean she's colorblind. Rosa sees the world in soft shades
30:51
Speaker 1: of yellow and gray, with tinges of blue. When she
30:58
Speaker 1: gazes at the canal beneath her window, she also sees
31:03
Speaker 1: the beauty of the sun-dappled water. But to Rosa, the
31:10
Speaker 1: water is not blue or green. It's a pale grey
31:16
Speaker 1: that shifts into golden yellow, sparkling when the sun hits.
31:26
Speaker 1: she watches the movement of the water with interest too.
31:32
Speaker 1: Depending on the size and shape of the ripples, she
31:37
Speaker 1: tries to guess the cause. It could be the wind,
31:43
Speaker 1: or a fish swimming beneath the surface. When the ripples
31:49
Speaker 1: become waves, it means a boat is on its way.
31:57
Speaker 1: The ripples in the water beneath the window are gradually
32:01
Speaker 1: becoming bigger and bigger. Rosa is tempted to lift her
32:08
Speaker 1: head so she can see the boat. But she's so
32:13
Speaker 1: comfortable that she doesn't want to move. She waits until
32:20
Speaker 1: it drifts into view. A small motorboat stops just below
32:29
Speaker 1: the window. There's a group of people on board, smiling
32:36
Speaker 1: and taking photos. They're talking too, but the only word
32:44
Speaker 1: Rosa recognizes is her own name, repeated several times. Rosa
32:54
Speaker 1: is famous in this town. The boats often pass along
33:01
Speaker 1: this stretch of the canal, so people can see Rosa
33:05
Speaker 1: relaxing on the windowsill. Rosa doesn't quite understand what's going on,
33:16
Speaker 1: but she's happy to watch the boats come and go.
33:22
Speaker 1: They're part of the scenery, like the birds singing in
33:27
Speaker 1: the branches of the trees or the water lapping gently
33:34
Speaker 1: against the stone walls. She sighs contentedly, making a soft
33:44
Speaker 1: huffing sound and closes her eyes. The sun is growing
33:52
Speaker 1: warmer and she can feel herself getting sleepier by the second.
34:02
Speaker 1: The gentle heat of the sun is like a caress.
34:08
Speaker 1: It's almost as soothing as being stroked by her owners. Later,
34:19
Speaker 1: she'll go for another wander around the hotel, to find
34:24
Speaker 1: out what her owners are up to. But for now,
34:30
Speaker 1: she's happy just where she is. In this moment, there's
34:39
Speaker 1: nowhere else she'd rather be. She's ready for her long
34:51
Speaker 1: afternoon nap. The warm sun, the comforting scents, and the
35:01
Speaker 1: soothing melody of the birdsong are slowly lulling her into
35:09
Speaker 1: a state of total relaxation. Soon, she's no longer aware
35:21
Speaker 1: of her surroundings. With a final, happy sigh, she drifts
35:32
Speaker 1: serenely into sleep. you Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
40:10
Speaker 1: you Thank you. Thank you.