The sound of silence.
The house is beyond quiet right now.
Our air purifier that we bought in 2019, took its last breath over the weekend.
We have 3 of them. They are scattered throughout the house.
They all run 24/7.
This one is in the front room, and provides all the ambient noise you could want in the main living area. I guess it makes the air clean, too.
Everyone has noticed it.
“House is quiet”..Carter says.
“I can’t hear myself think”..Steph says.
“What’s wrong with our house?”..Cooper says.
(Puts on rain sounds while typing blog)…Glenn
It’s amazing how sounds and smells shape our everyday.
Madelyn was commenting on how every friend or family’s house she goes to has a familiar smell.
MJ’s house smells like clean laundry. My mom’s house smells like cleaning supplies, my mother-in-law’s house smells like vanilla and maple.
Our house smells like Cooper’s expensive cologne.
And we get used to all the sounds, too…How the furnace kicks on, and the sound of the ring doorbell when Amazon arrives. Which neighbor’s car is coming down the street, and the chime when a family member on Life360 arrived at their destination.
And sure, you can interpret all of this as the ability to have an attitude of gratitude..but rather than counting your known blessings, I want you to count the blessings you weren’t aware..were blessings.
Make a list..
The small everyday things that you’re very used to and quite frankly...annoy you.
Small muddy footprints on your manufactured hardwood floors from kids and dogs.
Your dishwasher breaks
Your mom’s relentless memes and forwards.
The trumpet playing your 10 year old does and the small pools of saliva over said manufactured hardwood floors.
A hospital stay.
Now, change the way you interpret it all.
Footprints mean there is life in your house. Somebody had a kid that went off to college this year. Someone had a dog that recently passed away.
Our dishwasher broke, and now Steph and I do dishes together and talk.
And now I can’t load the dishwasher wrong.
My mom sends so many things to me…And yet I still have her in my life.
Carter learned to play Seven Nation Army on the trumpet, AWESOME! ..but after hearing it, will not help him with the ladies… Hey, I learned Huey Lewis on a pink accordion when I was 9, and failed miserably in that department, too.
But then I learned piano, and so has Carter..So there’s hope.
And our church friend said he’s never felt closer to God then when he was in the hospital for an extended stay, and had the ability to pastor to HIS caregivers.
Powerful.
Sometimes, we learn about ourselves in the sound (and smell) of silence.
And now that I’m done learning, it’s time to get a new air purifier on Amazon.
All my best as you figure out life and the relationships in it.
XOXO Glenn