The Sounds that bring me Comfort...

This might seem like a strange topic, "The Sounds that bring me comfort..."  Yet, I've come to realize, certain sounds bring me so much comfort, that peace and rest might not be mine, if not for the sounds I love.  For example, in these cold winter months, I often lay in bed at night listening to the wind.  I may have mentioned my love for the wind in the past, but you need to understand that I don't always love the wind.  In fact, in the summer months, I find wind to be quite annoying.  It's disruptive, it's loud, it's cold, and believe me when I say, it has ruined more than many an outdoor activity for me.

The wind has kept our boat sitting for more weekends than I care to count.  Much to the disappointment of my children, wild winds have curled the waves along the lake shore making them so ferocious that the beach flag can only wave in the distress color red.  As a matter of fact, sometimes venturing into the back side of the dunes, is the only way to enjoy the beach on a windy day. Finally, the wind has cooled off an otherwise warm summer day and turned it into a cold sweater wearing day!  *Breaking News* Sweaters aren't made for summer.

Now let's explore winter winds.  Winter winds I Love with a capital L.
Let me take you back to my childhood.  I lived in a two story farm house nestled beside three very large evergreen trees.  Big beautiful pine trees that swayed with the wind's strong gusts.  My bedroom window looked out mid-height into those trees.  Sitting high on the second floor, I looked deep into those branches and saw the mass of strength being held within.  What I'm going to tell you next might sound spooky but it wasn't spooky, because I loved those trees.  On dark winter nights, when the strong winds blew, the long arms of those evergreen trees covered in thick white snow, would reach out and touch my window.  It was as though they were letting me know, they were there watching over my house.  As the strong winds whistled and blew through those trees, I would cuddle in and listen.  I am taken back to those memories when listening to the winter winds.  It's wonderful to be warm and cozy, snuggled in, listening to nature sing her wild winter songs.

The next sound I love...I know some of you reading this will say, "Oh no! Not me!"  Haha.  But I love the sound of the bedside clock as it ticks away in perfect timing to the silence of the night.  I can totally relate to those of you who disagree but I must tell you my story and then you will appreciate my love for the bedside clock.  When I was a little girl, I would travel to Owasso, Michigan to stay with my grandparent's.  You may not know this about me but leaving home to stay overnight anywhere was not necessarily my idea of a good time.  I was a true momma and daddy's girl.  I was an extreme homebody.  Therefore, being away from home for more than one night was a big deal for me.  I was the little girl who packed at the very least, three stuffed animals to keep me company as well as my pillow and blanket.  Comforts of home were a must at bedtime.  Climbing into a different bed, in a different room, surrounded by nothing I recognized, would leave me feeling very lonely.  I would cuddle under my covers, close my eyes tightly and pull my stuffed animals to me.  "We are in this together." I would tell them, "and the only way we might actually survive these three nights away from home is to hug each other as tight as we can all night long."

No kid likes a dark room, so I'd keep my eyes closed while switching off the bedside lamp.  The next thing I heard was silence.  My grandparent's had gone to bed and there wasn't any noise at all.  Or was there?  Yes, yes there was.  I could hear it.  This, tick...tick...tick... so clearly.  So I peeked out from under my covers using only one squinted eye to see.  There on the desk, in the corner, sat a perfectly poised little round clock with a perfectly illuminated face.  It carried a repetitive tick as the minute hand made its rounds, swiping across the numbers.  I watched it move pace by perfect pace.  I listened to its tender tick, until my eyes could no longer stay open.  I'd lay there listening until I dropped off to sleep.  The next night, I found that clock to be such a comfort and each night thereafter, it lulled me to sleep that night and for many years to come.

My final sound of comfort might make you laugh, but it's the sound of the dishwasher.  Believe me, I have many more sounds I love but in an attempt to avoid your, complete boredom, I will end with this one.  If you are like me, you completely get this.  As a parent, I find a day can carry on and on.  Don't you?  I have to laugh on those mornings when I'm crawling out of bed only to realize, I'm already looking forward to getting back under the covers later tonight.  It's true!  You know it and I know it!  Some days just seem to go on and on and you know when it's going to be, "One of those days," well before the day has even begun.  However, when the night is coming to a close, the long day is soon to be a memory, I send my kids off to brush their teeth and get ready for bed, I finish putting the last of the dirty dishes into the dishwasher and set it to, start.  I move to the back of the house, tuck in my kids, and I hear the, "click."  There it goes, the dishwasher is underway.  I sigh, relieved, it's done.  The day is over.   Bedtime has arrived.  With the sound of the dishwasher busy at work, I can take a deep breath and think, "Success! We made it through another day."  Does the sound of the dishwasher actually relax me and bring me comfort?  You know what?  For whatever reason, it does. Lol.

The sounds that bring me comfort.  Well, there you have it, a few of my favorite sounds.  Add them to yours, I just know you have some too.
S.