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The aspiration of every parent.

Just a moment. Just a brief respite in an otherwise noisy maelstrom of life.

We stayed with some friends this past week who do not have kids. They were not prepared for the two little tornadoes in the form of boys that were to invade their home. 🙂

Not that our boys are bad. They are not. They are some of the most self-controlled, well-behaved, kind and considerate boys I know.

But, they are boys. And they are loud.

But as I enjoyed a brief moment of solitary quiet just now, I was thankful that there is noise in our home. (And, the many other homes we visit throughout the year…) 🙂

Today is the 6th year that, at least to us, Jeffrey J Walker has been quiet. He was the second son of my in-laws. He was not quiet for 36 years. Far from it. He was loud and fun! But, on this morning 6 years ago, he was quiet.

My heart aches with that imagery. I can not fathom the emptiness of that quietness. To lose the “noise” of a child.

Now we know that he is not quiet. We know that he is far more joyful than ever before, and we rejoice with him in that.

But the quiet is unsettling. It’s not right.

And I am thankful that God has given us a noisy home. And growing noisier.

Sometimes, the strangest things can be counted as blessings…