There is no charm equal to tenderness of the heart.
---- Jane Austen
A Remembrance:
In the early hours of the morning, before the sun squinted its early rays above the horizon, I would listen to the tender sounds of our house awakening, comforting sounds that I can replay today.
It was the gentle conversation between my mom and dad as they sat at the kitchen table, sounds that comforted my brain, erasing any shadows lurking in the dark. I could never actually hear what was being said, but the words were as easy as the way they stirred their coffee, almost in unison.
I often floated in these spaces, betwixt my dreams and the murmuring house, where fanciful imagery and reality blended into blankets of sounds.
Occasionally, I would hear a whispery goodbye as my dad left for work, followed by mom's slippers brushing the floor, shuffling her way back to bed. Soon the house would drift into its second sleep and so would I, tucking this tender time into my most treasured spaces.
-----G. Hill
Tender is the Night
These memories shall be our very own,
Even though our dreams may vanish
With the morning light,
How tender, how tender the night
----Sung by Johnny Mathis
(see link below)
Sometimes the smallest things take up the largest place in our hearts.
---- Winnie the Pooh
We do not know the true value of our tenderest moments until they have undergone the test of memory.
~ Georges Duhamel
Let Our Thoughts Be as Gentle as the Lily Pad, Holding Each Other Up
Note to readers: Not all the sounds in my growing up house were this tender. We were a noisy bunch: four kids, parents and a lot of comings and goings from nearby relatives, which renders the tender moments even more special.
***********
And dare I share this?
As I was listening to and appreciating the soft sounds of my awakening house this morning, breaking through my reverie, in comic contrast, came a shout from the bedroom. My partner in life, who often argues with our various electronic devices was shouting,
"Alexa! Alexa!”
Do you have a tender memory of the early morning sounds of your family house?
Photos are AI generated.
Enjoy: Tender is the Night by Johnny Mathis’
See Also: Shades of Stillness and One Dish at a Time
Still laughing.
yes this was great as always and has me thinking; and am laughing about Alexa– Nance
Hello Nance, I must say that the Alexa shouts had me laughing too. I marvel at how our hearts are savvy enough to tuck away these small moments for us to remember as though it knew we would need them someday.