Yesterday I walked into my bedroom in the late afternoon to find my husband laying on the bed. After working all day, he was relaxed, both hands stretched out over his head while he just sat listening. Unusual for him I asked if he felt ok? Looking back at me he said he couldn't be better. He quietly turned to me and said, " listen". In the background, Kate had the radio on listening to music in her room as she happily enjoyed time with one of her good friends. Peter would be playing some video game interspersed with little journeys to visit me to check in as he usually does. What I was hearing was the everyday banter that I have come to expect much like the hum of the refrigerator in the kitchen. Out of tune with chris's thoughts, I suggested that maybe I should shut the door so it can be more quiet. He shook his head as his look suggested that he liked the noise. Suggesting I too lay down and listen, I followed his cue. I too could hear the banter coming from all around the house. It was nothing unusual. The dog kept dropping his ball nearby, Kate was grasping on to her childhood creating paper designs in her room and Peter was nearby as always. He lamented that we should enjoy this because someday this home will be quiet as the kids grow up and find their own way. Someday this will be gone. Someday the irregularity of a noiseless home will be a distant memory. A lump in my throat formed almost immediately as I realized he was right. Later in the day I would run into a woman I see often at the gym. While we waited in line at Lino's, she talked of her five kids. With only one left at home she pines for the days of her noisy full home knowing well, the pang of pain that happens when your children grow up. It happens so quickly that if feels like a cruel trick being played on unwitting parents. So as we lament about laundry piled on by our kids or the constant stream of dirt in the doorway, relearning 5th grade math or having to create a dinner miracle every night, remember to enjoy every minute of it. These are the days (said well in song I recall) to remember.
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