Quiet

I hit the 'Publish' button on yesterday's post and went straight to work on my family's Book Project.

I puttered with that all morning and then kept a promise to my Youngest Son. I took him out to see a movie.

We went straight to the movie and straight home. No errands. No stops along the way. We were back home three hours after we left and walked in the door empty handed.

Once home, my son went about his business. He did his laundry, cleaned his room, then plugged the headphones into his phone so he could watch some YouTube videos. The only sound coming from his room, was that of the hum of the dehumidifier.

I picked up a book and read.

The house was silent, except for the sounds of the clocks ticking, the fridge motor and the noise of my son's laundry and room-cleaning. No music, no TV, no phones, no voices, nothing. It was so peaceful.

I should have picked up the phone and called to clarify a 'research question' (or ten) for The Book Project. But I didn't. I didn't want to have to hold up my end of a conversation. I didn't want to think. I simply wanted to savor the silence.

My son wandered in and out of the living room. We chatted about nothing. I put together a supper meal for him. We sat and had our regular daily dose of Cat-Chat (we can sit and talk mindlessly about our cats and it is akin to staring into a fire - they are such a calming presence).

It was at this point, that I realized that I had not been in contact with anyone all day (besides my morning blog post and suddenly even the thought of those words sounded loud). No phone calls, no texts, no emails, nothing.

My contact with the outside world was silenced for one day. And I think I liked it ...

My holidays begin in five days. This time, last year I was counting down the days until my dream vacation in my Room With a Door. I sequestered myself into the quietest room of the house, closed the door and shut out the world. It was the best holiday I have ever given myself.

This year, I am still taking four days at the onset of my holiday to be quiet, to write and work on my Book Project. But I am not craving the silence in the same way that I was a year ago.

There has been a subtle shift in the tides. I am not so overwhelmed at how-far-I-have-yet-to-go on the Book Project. The house is quiet. My thoughts are riding the waves and I feel so calm within.

I don't have to go anywhere, do anything or see anyone to turn my life into a holiday. I am already living my dream. Within this peaceful oasis of my heart and home...

I can still feel the peace of staring back to the wake of the wide open vastness of the world we left behind as our cruise ship sailed off to a world I had never seen.
That ... is exactly where I am once again. Without taking one step out of our home.