My house screams with quiet. There are no feet stomping down the stairs. No yelling for the bathroom, or at each other for stealing a toy, or a friend. There are no iPods singing or ICarly chatting on the television. The Wii dance party has shut down and someone else will have to help Mario save the princess. The whirl of the electric Sponge Bob toothbrush has ceased. The crack of my son’s bat hitting a home-run, just an echo. No hamburgers sizzling or Kung foo battles. No sing-offs, or screaming fits over homework. No honk of the bus or for the friend being picked up. No more reading The Three Little Pigs over and over. No more tantrums for treats, or crying while washing hair. No more slammed doors, loud farts or chanting for “Ice cream!” No more calming their cries. No more, “Mama, come.”
I can almost hear the cock of the Nerf gun, right before one of my little boys shoot me in the back; and my own voice as I sing my babies to sleep. Almost. The giggling and tickling, laughing and whining is gone. My feet scrape loudly in empty silence. It’s just so quiet now. It’s almost as if it all never happened.
*This is a response to the weekly WordPress writing challenge on the role of sound in writing.
http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2014/02/17/the-sound-of-silence/
Icescreammama 
Makes me almost want to wake up my girls for a hug. I yearn for quiet and then miss the noise. You get it. Hey … just looked to the right and saw my post – thank you!!!
i know. i was tearing as i re-read. even the fact that i’m not a mom of a 4,7 and 10 year old makes me bittersweetly miserable. it all going so fast! i hate it!
the wpchallenge thing is a good exercise and i guess, i’m hoping it just expands my reach..?
I signed up for the WP emails a few weeks ago but haven’t made time/had willingness to do one. I think it’s a great idea to expand my reach and give me a push. I love that you tried it – thanks for the inspiration. I hope to have the willingness to join you!
it’s only my second one. i’m half-assed trying. i feel like, i’m spending all this time sitting here… But, it’s really all so much time to commit – the writing, editing, promoting (sort of)… even the yeah write, which is great! There’s a lot of reading involved. it’s really all my down time here. i’m trying to figure out what my goal is.
do you have a specific goal? or is writing the goal?
(did i write all this before? i don’t know how to read back comments!)
🙂
Powerful. I can hear the silence of your house and I know exactly what it sounds like and feels like. Funny how only after a short while of the silence I crave the noise again:)
when i think about what’s coming, i can’t stand it. 😦
Beautifully haunting. My favorite so far.
No way. Thanks.
I cried. But of course, it’s like my future nightmare. i try not to think about it. 😉
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