Whirlwind

The sound of rain against the glass is my companion all morning. The dog barks, pulling me from my work and reminding me the world exists outside of my den.

My phone buzzes with the familiar text: Lunch?

I text back: Yup

The house is quieter than it’s been in months. All six kiddos are back in school and the cats and dogs are as baffled by the silence as I am.

We sit quietly at the table munching on our usual lunch fare. Some combination of a sandwich, chips and a few carrots just to be a little healthy.

Nick looks up at me and says, “Want to go sit on the porch for a bit?”

“Sure,” I say.

I grab a sweater from upstairs. The rain has cooled everything down by about 20 degrees and it feels a little like fall. The dogs follow me outside and chase each other around the yard. Thunder rumbles across the sky above followed by a flash of lightning.

For the first time in months, I feel a sense of calm. Peace. Like everything might actually turn out ok. Like this whirlwind we’ve been in for the last year and a half will leave us be sometime soon.

The constant rumble in the sky followed by a torrential downpour and lightning feels like solidarity from Mother Nature.

I laugh as the dogs tumble and play and race around.

Being an adult is not what I thought it would be (as if it ever is). I’m learning to take pleasure in the little things and let other things go.

Small pleasures. Teasing our teens. Watching the cats chase flies through the house. Puppies asking for scratches. A cat that thinks she is Godzilla to my Harry Potter castle. The boys turning a box into some sort of spaceship. Giggling humans.

Nick’s phone buzzes interrupting my reverie.

“I’ve got to go do work things.”

“Yeah, I should probably go do work things too.”

I sigh and meander my way back to the den with my two happy, slightly wet dogs.

Another day.