Too Quiet for Comfort

The empty nest is quiet... and empty. The house is quieter than it should be and if I listen very closely, I can hear vibrations from yesteryear coming from the walls. I miss tripping over the pile of shoes, boots and backpacks at the front door; and finding most of the kitchen chairs cloaked in unhung coats and sweaters. I miss running the 24 hour laundromat and folding copious piles of laundry every night in front of the television. I miss reaching for the milk jug only to find it empty and making a sandwich with the last two crusts left in the loaf.

Now the same bag of milk lasts for weeks and the bread doesn't get eaten fast enough to stay fresh. There is no one to blame the clutter on, and no one to yell at except the dog.

Thankfully it is almost Christmas and soon the house will once again reverberate with the giggles, bickerings and singing of my girls. Soon the shoes will be piled high at the door and the foyer will be cluttered with bags and backpacks ... and dogs! Soon I will have something to complain about .... but I won't. Because if I have learned anything, it is that there is nothing like a houseful of loved ones to generate love and lasting memories.

Come on home girls. Mama misses you.