Old Shoes

They are gone!

It's very beautiful to have them over as our guests. They and their four gorgeous little children. Oh, and did I mention the noise?

I can't say I was much different when I was younger, but I'm surely this way at my age. There's just a certain amount of volume that I can take. These children are actually quieter than others. But they have their moments. And they have a way of littering the floors with toys, pillows, pretzels, papers, and sundry other things.

And I accept all of that. No complaints. Well, except the early morning one this morning, when the bedroom door was left wide open, and one of the children decided to scream on top of his lungs until he got the attention he wanted. And all I said was, would you please get the kid quiet and close the door. But they made sure to repeat it back to me later. I guess they're a bit sensitive, and so am I.

But more importantly, all good things come to an end -- thank goodness! And this afternoon they departed. What a wonderful visit it was! How nice, how sweet, how much fun.

But I give glory to the One on high, for the serenity, and peacefulness that has returned to this abode. Hey, it's finally quiet around here! And that is a blessed relief. Suddenly I can hear myself think again. And I am not bombarded with the piter-pater of small and large feet crisscrossing the rooms above, stereos playing music with the volume on max, and the numerous people using the best bathroom.

I've come to realize, that we hold on to our old habits like close friends. Friends that mellow with us as we get older and more entrenched in our ways. Frankly, I like my quiet. I like the serenity. And as much as I love welcoming these dear little children into my home, so too, do I enjoy bidding them farewell.

Perhaps our habits do not let us be the best of people. Perhaps our habits conflict with some noble desire to be some idyllic magnanimous creature. But habits are like old shoes. They aren't always so polished, and sometimes they are scruffy and don't look nice. But they always seem to fit, and are rather comfortable to the wearer.

So I am not going to apologize about my habits. I'm not going to apologize for my existence or for the way my life has become. Those habits are also relatives, in this family. And when the kids leave, I extend the welcome mat for the comfortable old shoes.

p.s. The other one just came to tell me they are leaving, too. Now I am getting lonely, Suddenly, it is so quiet and desolate around here. Oh my goodness, how quickly we change, how fickle we are....