When the Noise Finally Settles

For the first time in what feels like months, life has gotten quiet.

Quiet in the way that we aren’t rushing from one practice to the next. Not wondering if we packed everything. Not having late dinners squeezed in between games or trying to remember who needs to be where and when. The calendar that was once overflowing has started to show blank spaces again.

I've been looking forward to this slower season for a while, but something I've learned over the years is that when life finally gets quiet, your mind doesn't always follow. When we're busy, we don't always have time to process what's underneath the surface. We just keep moving because we have to. We tell ourselves “we'll deal with it later.” Then later arrives…

For me, that "later" has looked a lot like noticing just how much I miss my son. He's spending the rest of the summer with his dad in Nebraska, and while I'm grateful he gets that time, I'd be lying if I said the house hasn’t felt different without him. There are little reminders everywhere. His room. His laugh that usually echoes through the house. The random conversations that become my favorite part of the day.

It's funny how silence has a way of making absence feel louder, and I'm certainly learning that slowing down isn't just about getting to rest. Sometimes it's about finally making room for the feelings we've unintentionally pushed aside while we were surviving our schedules, and maybe that's okay.

Not every quiet season has to be filled with productivity. Maybe it's meant for catching your breath. Reading a book you've ignored. Sitting outside a little longer. Letting yourself miss someone without trying to fix it. Finding peace in an evening that doesn't have a dozen places to be.

Life moves in seasons, it’s one of the best ways as you’ve read that I see my life. Some are loud and chaotic. Others are slower and invite us to be still. Neither one lasts forever.

So while I miss my boy more than I can put into words, I'm also trying to appreciate what this season is offering me… a chance to pause, to reflect, and to be present with the family that's here while I count down the days until we're all under the same roof again.

Sometimes healing doesn't happen in the middle of the chaos.

Sometimes it begins when the noise finally settles.

I want to add that I’ll be writing more going forward as this calm season presents herself. I plan on being more detailed with my days, how I stay productive, hobbies I have to keep me occupied, and how I find my pockets of peace.