If I stay still for a moment, close my eyes and listen really closely, I can practically hear the sounds of my home from anywhere. It’s a soothing meditation “on-the-go” whenever I need it because I love my house and all the energy it brings.
Feel free to steal that meditative moment idea if you too are an anxious parent.
Our house can be noisy and a steady stream of music frequently floats around the space on top of it. Primarily from the heart of the home, the kitchen. And while I’d like to think I have great taste in tunes, the older my children get the more they’re paying attention to what that taste is exactly and creating their own from it. I often wonder if they’re going to associate ACDC with doing the dishes, or John Denver with sweeping. They giggle when I play the Backstreet Boys loudly past our barn to scare away any possums while I collect eggs. Or laugh when I explain that the Cotton Eye Joe is not new, but I am also obviously not old. (I am.)
They request Mamma Mia in the car and sing every word. But also turn their nose up if something is deemed “uncool” by the jury. The jury being the two of them in the back seat. It’s a lot of pressure to drive and be a DJ and something tells me we’re getting close to one of them taking over the song choices completely while I chauffeur.
But when they bellow a big command in their tiny voices to our Alexa, and are surprisingly accurate with their requests, I am filled with joy. Not just because it’s a good song! But it’s a big scary world and music can be joyful, warm and powerful.
Just like I hope they grow up to be.
– Shannon Hart is a Vermont native, mother of 2 and Graphic Designer at the Addison Independent