Do you want to talk? Not really

My sister Lynn was staying with us for a couple of days last week. After she left, Brent commented that she probably thought we were a really weird family. I asked him if it was because we went out to eat with her and our family barely spoke a word. He said he was thinking about the ride in the car where we barely spoke a word. You're probably thinking, these people are freaks or they don't like each other. No, it's not that. Okay, I may be a bit of a freak but I wouldn't describe the rest of my family that way. We are just quiet people (except Noah, sometimes that boy can go on and on and on!) Anyone who knew me as a child knows how completely shy I was. I'm not that shy now but I can still be a very quiet person. My Mom used to say I was just sitting back taking things in, observing. That's true. I think I catch things about people that others wouldn't catch as quickly. Sometimes anyway. And Brent, he's so comfortable being alone it's almost ridiculous sometimes! But I still love him. We do of course talk to each other frequently enough, sometimes for hours. And there's nothing wrong with the art of conversation. I have my moments when my kids are pulling on me because I'm talking with a neighbor and the kids are saying "IT'S TAKING FOREVER!" But we do have those times when we'll be together and not saying a thing. That's just who we are, it's in our DNA to be quiet more often than the average person. And it's definitely in our kids DNA, getting this characteristic from both sides. I think the best payback my parents ever got from raising me is me having a daughter with a quiet voice. My whole childhood was spent with my parents saying "Speak up! We can't hear you! Stop mumbling!" And now I've been blessed with Isabella, great girl, awesome person, you couldn't ask for a better daughter. But I have to put my head right next to hers to hear what she's saying a lot of the time. Definitely payback! I used to think there was something wrong with me, not talking as much as everyone around me. But now I'm okay with who I am. It's just a part of me, and a part of the rest of my family too. And the kids will get over this more and more as they grow up. But you gotta embrace who you are, right? What's that expression? Silence is golden. :)