Quiet {Five Minute Friday}
Five minutes of free write on a given one-word prompt with Five Minute Friday. See more linked posts here.
To be able to hear the smallest of noises is to be quiet. To be sensitive to one’s surroundings, aware, present is to be quiet.
Quiet used to look like a meandering walk, lost in my own thoughts, hearing the birds, the car horns, the wind, the subtle stomping of my quick pace. Quiet used to look like long stretches of book-in-hand-blanket-on-body. Quiet used to look like early mornings on a fog-filled lake, sun settling into the day with me.
Quiet is hard to come by now. The boys like volume. Music loud. Talking loud. Various sound making loud. Arguing loud. It’s constant. My mind seems to beg for moments to sort through my own thoughts.
But their voices prevail.
They are quiet, sometimes. When there’s a snuggle, when they’re mad, when they are lost in an episode of Daniel Tiger.
Maybe quiet isn’t volume, though. Maybe quiet still exists even in the loudness of a two-boys-under-five house. Maybe quiet is more about calm, about being still, being present, being aware.
Maybe it’s my own mind that needs to quiet itself, not their high-volume full-embrace of life.
Honestly, though, I think we could use a little of both.
Hi, I am after you in the linkup this week! I nanny two 2 year-old boys so I can relate to the lack of QUIET! But I really loved your insight into being more present and aware even in the lack of auditory “quiet.” around you. I will take this to heart in the coming days. Thanks!
Thanks for reading and commenting, Bethany! I’ll hop over to read your post now. 🙂
I like this! There are times when actual quiet just isn’t possible, but we can maintain that attitude of calmness. Something for me to think on today!
Thanks for reading, Marie!
We have two girls (3 and 5) and even though they’re girls, I think I understand why your definition of quiet has shifted. I agree with you…quiet for me has also shifted to this: “Maybe quiet is more about calm, about being still, being present, being aware.” I often can’t manage to do this myself…I’ve been asking God to help me and He has, amazingly…feeding worship songs and Scriptures into my struggles to be calm and present. Enjoyed reading your words.
Thanks for stopping over, Anna. Glad to hear you can relate!
Yep…I can just bet there’s not a lot of quiet time with two little guys under five! You’ve got your hands full! Sounds like you’ve got the right idea on quiet though! Good post.
Lynette
~#117 on linkup
Thanks for reading, Lynette!