Sandra Boynton has a counting book. It counts up from “1 is good for a quiet walk” all they way to “10 makes a celebration loud LOUD LOUD!” The book does not end at 10. The next page is mostly white space with a little cat sitting in the middle of the strewn confetti from the prior page’s celebration. With the cat are the words “and 1 is wonderful after the crowd.” I feel like that cat right now. She too enjoyed the party while it occurred, but is now glad to have the silence that comes after.
I came home to a house cleaner than when I left and children fast asleep. I paid the babysitter extra for this miracle. There is calm and silence for what feels like the first time in weeks. Now I can look out at the snow and not have to go out in it. Even more than the crowd of people, I am finally done with my crowded thoughts. I don’t have to juggle or shift or plan for tomorrow. I no longer have a box full of stress sitting in my office. I can finally sit and sort through all the thoughts that have been shoved to the back of my brain because I was too busy for them. The back of my brain has become quite crowded. It will be nice to disperse that crowd too.
I am so tired. I should sleep. But if I sleep, then I will wake up to kids who need food. There will be Things To Do again. I’m reluctant to let go this moment of silence and calm even for sleep.
Enjoy the calm.
Also, I love the Sandra Boynton books. And the albums. Nothing like listening to Kevin Bacon and his brother singing Snoozers.
We loved the Boynton books so much that we bought a complete set of the board books when my eldest was a baby. 12 years later I can still recite most of them from memory even though the books themselves were literally loved to pieces.