They Need the Noise

This morning, I’m walking around my house, checking the bedrooms and the bathrooms,

prepping for tomorrow morning when my two grandbabies and daughter-in-law arrive for a nice long visit.

I think about how amazing it’s going to be to have the wonderful noise of two little girls playing and the laughter and love that they are bringing with them.

Then I think about the day, just 8 short days in the future, when they will head back to Tupelo.

Leaving us with a big old house that will echo with the memories of their laughter.

As a grandmother, I cherish those moments when I’m in the kitchen or on the couch and look up and just listen to the giggles and the chatter as we talk about their school and teachers and friends and dolls and toys.

I think about my own parents.

How happy Mama always was to see us pull into her driveway. How she always tried to cook some type of food and make a pot of coffee or offer us a beer. She rarely drank beer, but she always kept a six pack of her adult kids’ favorite choice in the fridge, just in case we wanted one.

She did this up until a few weeks before we lost her in 2021.

I smile as I realize that I myself have started that practice. I texted my daughter-in-law a few days ago, asking for a shopping list of their favorite treats and soft drinks and foods.

I think of my dad, 87 but still going strong.

How amazing it is to be able to see him several times a week, have a cup of coffee with him, watch TV with him, and tell him all about my day. Whether he wants to hear it, or not. Ha ha

I have often wondered as I grew up if my own parents welcomed the solitude and quiet that an empty nest brought to them after we all moved out.

Now I know the truth.

Guys, as grandparents, we welcome the noise.

We welcome the mess, the clutter, the chaos that the kids’ and grandkids’ visits bring.

We love to hear the conversations, regardless of the topic, because it reminds us of days past and good memories and family gatherings in our own parents’ homes. It reminds us of our siblings and the amazing times we had living under one roof.

In the craziness and the chaos and the noise of our own lives, we often forget about those quiet homes that we left behind when we moved into our own apartments, homes, or dorm rooms.

It’s so easy to forget about the fact that each morning, our parents wake up to a empty home, a coffee pot that’s only serving one cup, a frying pan that used to serve hundreds of meals each year…now only cooking for one or two.

We forget that phone calls are not replacements for human touch and human interaction and that a phone call doesn’t fill the same space in the house that our presence brings.

Therefore, this morning, as I excitedly anticipate hearing those little feet running into our house and yelling out, “Mawmaw T and Papa, we’re here!” I remind myself to absorb every moment with these babies and my beautiful daughter-in-law, because these are the best days.

These are the moments that we will look back on one day and smile.

I also made my own promise.

I’m going to go have coffee with my dad this morning. I’m going to tell him about my day and bore him with all the details of what’s going on with my life.

Reminisce a bit about our childhood and growing up in that home that kept us safe and warm.

Tell him a few jokes. Corny, but he’ll laugh because I definitely got my sense of humor from him.

Then kiss him on the forehead and tell him I love him, and that I am truly grateful for everything he’s done for me in my life. For the love he and Mama gave us, and the safe home that they provided for us as kids.

Lord knows, as a former divorce attorney, I have seen situations where that is not the case for the kids on the Gulf Coast.

Then, as I stand up to head to the office and meet with clients for the day, he will say what he always says, “You don’t have to go.”

And I will turn around and smile and say, “I’m just leaving for a bit. I’ll be back soon.”

As I walk out the door, I will thank the good Lord that I have the opportunity to be able to follow up on that promise.

For as long as Daddy is on this earth, I will make sure I keep that promise.

I will make sure that his house is full of noise, chaos, and love.

Tina