Quiet Evening Thoughts

I hear the pleasant chatter of neighbours outside as I breathe in the refreshing air of another beautiful fall evening. The dishwasher hums and swooshes in its methodical, rhythmical way, which is strangely comforting. On the cupboard a few dishes were waiting for me to handwash them, but I somehow managed to fit all of my stray pots and pans from supper into the dishwasher.  I love it when that happens.  And for the moment my three precious children are all sleeping, though only a minute ago I heard a sweet little squawk from Brielle. My hard-working husband is in the field, helping to bring in the harvest for another season. Though there is work for me to do...there is always work for me to do :-)... this introvert is enjoying a moment of rest and quiet contemplation amid the stillness of the evening.

Our home has been a bundle of busyness and stress as of late. It has been exhausting. Only family and our closest friends know the extent of it all. Physical and mental rest has eluded us for far too long. I long for days of routine, familiarity, calmness, and predictability. I pray those days will come soon. I caught a glimpse of those days the other evening when I snuggled up my kids on the couch to read a Beatrix Potter tale, a bedtime story read unhurriedly for once. Routine is comforting, not boring, to this introvert. Are you surprised I'm an introvert? Most who know our family would likely think of me as the extrovert and my husband as the introvert. I am far more introverted than I like to admit and am strangely surprised that I am not very extroverted. Being alone energizes me. Unless I am properly rested, being around people drains me, which pains me a little to admit that. That is not to say I can't talk a mile-a-minute and jabber most everyone's ears off when I want to, though.:-) My husband is the opposite. He is usually energized by being around friends and family, always up for a spontaneous adventure. He is usually calm and rather quiet in a crowd, but that is because he is not an attention-seeker and is far more self-controlled than I am. Though we are both first-borns, and so, naturally, we bring a double-dose of hard-headedness and stubborness :-), we complement each other and get along very well. We are very similar in many ways, and so we truly "get" each other's strange quirks, thoughts, and habits. We have been married for just over 9 years. I love him more than words could ever express. He is a fantastic husband and dad. Oh, life has felt rather tumultuous lately, but how much more bearable it is to sail the seas of life when you are riding its waves hand-in-hand with the one you love most, trusting the Captain all the way.