December 13th, 2009

Quieter Still

I hear little slurps from my two-year old as she munches a dark plum, seated at our empty kitchen table. She and I have just returned from dropping her two siblings off for their first day in pre-K and second grade. It is now just the two of us at home.

All is so quiet.

The din of constant chatter mixed with bickering and laughter filled this home throughout the long summer days. There seemed to always be a child bounding down the stairs with resounding thudding steps (“Stop jumping!” I’d command) or calling after someone (“Stop yelling!”). Little lilting voices with eruptions of giggles or yes, more sibling bickering was our background ‘white noise,’ so constant it settled our home. Continue… »

By Maija Threlkeld