I am often wakeful at night. For many years it was because I was roused from pleasant slumber by babies or restless tots. Later, I would lie waiting for teenagers to come home safely. Now it seems all those years of practise have ensured a good night’s sleep is out of the question.
These days however, when easy sleep evades me, I lie in quiet. There are no sounds from others, no late night worries that keep me awake.
Listening to the stillness and quiet one recent evening, my mind revisited those memories — leftover giggles at lights out, the pattering of tiny feet up the hall to the bathroom. With four children, life was never quiet, not even at night.
When the nest emptied, it was interesting at first adapting to a home without children. The silence often overwhelmed me. With no one to run to music lessons, sporting events or social times with friends, I really wasn’t sure what to do with my new existence.
Of course, over time I adapted, finding an easy comfort in fewer people to be responsible for. It’s nice to come home from a busy day and relax on the deck with a refreshing glass of wine. With no place to run nor kids to feed, supper comes when we get around to it. Sunday mornings with coffee and the paper are no longer interrupted by the requests and demands of little people. It can be a life as leisurely, or as exciting, as my husband and I want it to be.
So, yes, I’ve adapted. It doesn’t mean, however, that given the option I wouldn’t go back. I miss my reasons to wake up in the middle of the night. Parenthood was my greatest blessing.
These photos honour that wonderful bond between parents and children of all ages:
iCLIPART.com Photos of Children and Parents
Acclaim Images Photos of Parents
