Quiet Is My Enemy

When my three children were younger, I would long for quiet moments.  It seemed that noise would forever be part of my life. 

While most moms desire to have times of silence, these days I have come to dread those moments.  As I continue to count down until my oldest son leaves for basic training (22 days to be exact), I find quiet to be my enemy. 

Because that is when I start thinking about the day he leaves…and my heart starts to grieve. 

I think about him saying goodbye to his parents and siblings.  I think about him saying goodbye to his dogs, especially his Golden Retriever who is up there in age.  He is so afraid she will die before he comes home.

I think about him saying goodbye to his grandparents, his aunt and uncle, his youngest cousin and especially his best friend (who is also his cousin).  I think about him saying goodbye to friends and his church family.

Every time there is silence, I think.  So I have been trying to keep myself busy.  And if I’m not busy, I try to make sure there is background noise…whether it’s the television or music. 

The time when quiet is nearly impossible to avoid is at night.  I lay down, so tired from the busy day but my thoughts stay awake. 

So for now…quiet is my enemy.

(My son's cousin and best friend Jesse on left, my son Daniel on right)