The Sound of Silence

One thing I love about my house is the quietness. Even now, as I sit here I can close my eyes and pinpoint each sound I hear.

I hear Alice behind me, scratching on the scratching post, and then the soft touch of her paws as she jumps down and strolls up the stairs to see what's happening out front. Edgar is by my side, sitting meatloaf style on the arm of the sofa. We disagree on this, but he prefers to use the arm for his scratching post. I hear the weight of his body resettling into position as he turns around on the couch.

By turning around, he gets a better look out the window so he can investigate the other thing we all hear- so many different kinds of birds chirping outside. A ruffle of activity in the hedge outside the back window has all heads turning. Is it the wind or a sparrow?

Listening is a wonderful meditative activity. It allows me to leave the noise and chaos of middle school behind and focus on the smaller, quieter world in my house and backyard.