Quiet Time

I'm sitting at the computer, as you can tell.
It's very quiet in the house right now. All of the animals are asleep. Even Alex is sleeping with his little green head tucked under his wing.
The finch chicks still have not peeked out of their nest yet. Mama and Daddy are still sleeping with them at night.
Jerry and Tish are sleeping in anticipation of a busy day at work tomorrow. I can't seem to sleep.
This is a happy home. I look around and see the evidence everywhere. There are little toys scattered around the floor as if, we still had small children. The puppies love to play with their toys. I put them away and they methodically get each one out of the box. Junior makes a little pile of all of his favorites and lays with his head resting on them.Mocha sneaks up on him then quickly snatches one away, the game begins. Back and forth the toy goes as each puppy takes it away from the other while they chase each other madly around the house. then almost at the same time they fall on the floor in exhaustion and go to sleep. I pick them up and place them in the crates for the night.
There is a shredded paper towel laying near the keyboard from Jerry and Alex playing "tug-of-war". After Jerry went to bed and Alex began dozing on his gym. I picked him up and placed him back in his cage for the evening. He mumbled something to me that might have been "night-night" or "thank you".
I enjoy my evenings with my family and my assorted babies. But, I also enjoy this time, when everyone is asleep and safe in their beds and the house is quiet. I have time to reflect on my blessings. I have time to plan my day tomorrow, or I have time to do nothing at all.
When all of your children are grown and on their own, the general idea is that a mother is supposed to be sad and lonely. Or suffer "empty nest". I guess I don't know what that is. After raising four children, it feels kinda right that I have the ability to not have to worry about things any more. I don't have "empty nest" anything.
They also say that marriages fall apart after the children leave. Supposedly that is because the married couple suddenly discover they have nothing in common. I think that also is a bunch of bunk! Jerry and I do have our differing interests, we are different people. We have time to spend doing all the things we never had time to do before. He can finally go fishing any time he wants, tie jigs and flies, play on the computer or do nothing. Unlike the years past when all he had time to do was work to support a larger than average family. I believe he has earned his right to be happy and support him whole-heartedly. I don't think anything has changed between us simply because we fulfilled our parental obligations. I think we now have the opportunity to pursue our separate interests and then discuss in great detail our separate interests. We are no longer obligated to discuss report cards, school supplies, bedtimes, or any other subject that deals with rearing children. We can talk about us!
We will be married 31 years next month. I cannot imagine my life without him. I am 47, that is three quarters of my life with my lifelong love beside me. No, nothing has changed for us, except that maybe we are more sensitive to each others needs, more rspectful of one anothers feelings or maybe we are more comfortable with one another. Maybe our love has just gotten to the point that it is hard to see where one of us stops and the other begins. However it goes. I love him and always will.
I do really enjoy my quiet time alone. It gives me an opportunity to look at my life and realize how incredibly blessed, I really am.
Thank you Lord, for all of my blessings.