Tick-Tock

Ok, so nothing scrappy about this today...just a little personal tidbit for you to enjoy.

I love the sound of my family room clock.

Yep. That cheapo $5 clock from Target...
For me it's one of those things that triggers the stress release mechanism. It's akin to the smell of your favorite comfort food rising from your plate (or bowl) or your morning cup of coffee or tea. It can be anything, really, that triggers that feeling for you. I think it comes from a combination of circumstance, consistency, and what you enjoy.

I enjoy quiet. Now, since I'm the mom of a 3-year old, you can imagine that quiet is not an abundant commodity around my house! On Tuesdays, it's positively non-existent. For those of you who might not know, I add two extra boys to my family every Tuesday. I watch my friend's 3-year-old and 1-year-old...add that to my own 3-year-old, 2 dogs underfoot, and being 33 weeks pregnant with another boy and you've got a lot of noise goin' on! Not that the baby makes much noise right now, but he sure does make his presence known if I try to sit down for a little while...thumpa, thumpa!

So, if I love quiet, why do I love the sound of my clock?
I love it because I so rarely hear it.

It's those moments when the small one is in his room for quiet time (on Tuesdays, it's the rare moments when all 3 are quiet at the same time) and 2 dogs are asleep that the steady tick-tock of that cheapo clock suddenly rises to the foreground an expands into the thickness of the silence (ok, so it's never silent...but somewhat quiet anyway).


It's not that I need or even want quiet all the time. I really only need a few stolen minutes, but they are so very important. It's the time when I can sit on the couch and watch the sun stream in or the rain come down and just have space...


space to hear myself think



or not think (!!) if I so choose



So, for me, the sound of my clock has come to signal stress relief of 'me-time' - the time (which everyone needs) that I'm free from the demands and needs of others.

It's a good day when I hear that lovely Tick-Tock!