peaceful

 The concept of a house of peace began when Isaac and I first married. We wanted our house to be a house full of peace.  It hasn't always been so, but we set a few traditions in place to facilitate the concept.

In the bathtub I would soothe "peaceful, peaceful" over and over as they learned to submerge their head and to calm them if a head-washing became frightful.  If they fell and needed held, the peaceful song worked better than band-aids. To this  day the "peaceful" chant is used to calm them.... and they ask for it at snuggle time and bed time, purely nostalgic.

When the older three were young we would sing to them each night before bed and sometimes we would dance their night time prayer, wordless worship. Sometimes I miss those days, the ones before they realized that mom can't dance and she definitely cannot sing. But they remember those times fondly and will reminisce about the peaceful feeling they still have when they listen to the same CD.

Peaceful is a big word at our house.  Hyper? Be peaceful. Scared? pray for peace.  Fighting? look at each other until you can speak words of peace. (laughter usually precedes any words)

Tonight I realized that my children are maturing in their expression of peace. 

My precious 4 year old fell asleep at 5:45 as I rubbed his back while I chatted with my brother on the phone. My 12 year old had a sleepover and Isaac has a deadline... who knows when I will see him.  So all evening it is just Tay, Maya and I. We ate a supper, silly and laughing over the tiniest things, had a drawing contest on the front porch as the storm rolled over the horizon. Then we gorged ourselves on peanut butter snickers and kit-kats as the rain began to fall. Showers happened with quick succession as the promise of a snuggle in Mom's bed inspired.

And there is peace. Like long ago. But new. As we read together in the silence, enjoying just being together, the comfort is familiar, the atmosphere is calm.

I can't help but wonder if when they get older they will recall the stillness of this moment .... and long for a good book, in a big bed during a stormy summer night.

Peace to you tonight.