So This is What Quiet Sounds Like

I’m up working, drinking my coffee, and listening to the rustle of the leaves on the trees. My sliding door is open so the dogs can go in and out and so I don’t have to get up a million times to open and close the door. It’s supposed to be hot today, but the clouds speak otherwise.

Two out of my three kids are still sleeping. It’s almost 8:30 and I’ve already been showered and dressed for quite a while. It’s Spring Break so we’re all being a little lazy. The quiet is killing me.

Normally, I’ve already been to three different schools to drop off three different kids. But one of my kids is missing and suddenly nothing feels quite right. Lauryn is off at Science Camp this week. Our 5th graders go every year and my two older girls have already had the pleasure of the experience. I remember when my oldest went for the first time - my firstborn leaving for a week without me. It was exciting and heartbreaking at the same time. But back then, I had two small children to keep busy with. They filled the house with sound.

Today, there is no sound. The teenagers haven’t stirred yet and my youngest isn’t here, ready to give me a cuddle and then camp herself out on the couch while she watches TV. So this is what quiet sounds like. It sounds like those rustling leaves and barking dogs. I hear every car that drives by and the ticking of the clock in the kitchen. I hear the fly buzzing around my ear… most likely because that damn door is open.

Normally, I would relish the quiet after the hustle and bustle of the morning. Today I’m a little saddened by it. I miss having all three girls under one roof. Something feels off.

So this is what it will be like when the oldest goes to college in 2 years. The house will be quiet. And that’s not always a good thing.