The Best Kind of Quiet

We awoke this morning to cooler temps and a slow and steady rain. Perfect conditions for a lazy morning and eventually some intensive cleaning. Our kitchen has been a bit of a disaster lately. With all of the trips we have been making to see my mom, the kitchen counters have become a collection point for all sorts of items. If there is one room in my house that I need to have clean and neat, it is the kitchen. I become miserable and grumpy until order is reestablished. Pa and I decided to give it a thorough cleaning today. We banished the kids and dogs from the kitchen and got to work.

Sometime while cleaning, we realized the house had become extremely quiet. When you live with five kids, a quiet house is rare and is usually not a good sign. Unsure of what may be going on, I decided to investigate. Here's what I found:


On the rare occasions that I find myself alone in my house, I never enjoy it as much as I expect to. I often find myself counting down the hours until everyone is back home safe and sound. The silence of an empty house always leaves me with feelings of longing and uneasiness. Today's quiet was sublime. Today's silence, while it lasted, filled me with peace and contentment.