I believe the need for the solitude started when I previously ran my daycare. When you babysit, your days are noisy and busy. Nap time was my saving grace ... but I shared that time with my older kids who watched a movie while the little ones slept. The only time that I was completely on my own was the mornings.
The quiet became what I needed to start the day. To be nothing to no one for the first hour or two of the day. It is something I need.
I have utilized that quiet time to deliver papers ... to exercise ... to read ... and to write. It is simply time that I give myself to do whatever it is that I want to do.
Life in the morning has been changed up a notch around here.
My Second Son and His Girlfriend have taken on a paper route. They are out of the house before 5:30 each morning. The first two days, I believe that I may have quite literally danced with joy. No more tip toeing around the house for fear of disturbing my downstairs tenants. No matter how quiet I tried to be ... it was never enough. Now, I could just be me and it would be good enough.
Then came the shifting of the morning traditions. When the paper route is finished they have developed a delightful routine of sitting down and having breakfast together. That is wonderful. For them.
For me? It has been a transition. We like different lights on. I adapted to the semi-darkness. They turn on the radio. That's okay. It drowns out their conversation and gives them a modicum of privacy.
I still isolate myself to the world of my second cup of coffee and the computer (ten steps away) in the living room. It was okay.
Add my Youngest Son to this equation. He likes to wake up early and sets his alarm for 6:00 each morning. His teenage hormones must be kicking in, because exhaustion often overrules his desire to enjoy a few hours to himself before he heads off to school. But when he does wake up with his alarm, he enjoys some computer time as well.
Thus ... this morning, my quiet time was severely infringed upon. The kitchen was taken. I was bumped off the computer. I grabbed my Netbook and cup of coffee and headed towards the opposite end of the house. I found myself a spot in the toyroom.
I like it here. I really like it!!!
I am in the room above the laundry room. I have no downstairs 'neighbors' here. The room is in the furthest corner from all of the activity in the hub of the house. It is rather peaceful. The room has a door. I have the option of closing out the world.
Hmmmm .... I think I'm onto something here. I must find a way to turn this room into my private oasis. A place where I can find some solitude without disrupting what works for the rest of the household.
I didn't realize how much My Son & His Girlfriend were sacrificing until they started cutting corners with their spending and started spending much more time at home. I am quite certain that they were feeling cramped within their 'space' and often simply left the house to find their privacy.
Yes ... our house is full. Three adults, one teen, two dogs, a cat and a Daycare Family of three. Is it any wonder that each of us is flexing our elbow room and trying to find a way to make all of this work?
I think that I stumbled across my answer. I am quite comfy sitting here on the futon with our cat at my side. I think he likes this quiet little space as well.
I have become quite addicted to the Home & Garden Network and the wide variety of home renovation shows. It never ceases to amaze me how each and every new home owner is looking for an 'open concept' living space. That would drive me around the bend. Have these people not enjoyed the benefits of finding a cozy little nook to call their own?
Give me an old house with nooks and crannies any day! I need a little space to call my own. I think that most of us do ... don't we?
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