megdanielle

There is something about coming home to my WL home that makes getting ready for bed an infinitely longer process than it would if I was anywhere else. I love being home. I think that part of my prolonged routine stems from the comfort I have here. I know that the sooner I get to sleep, the sooner I wake up and pack my bags to leave again – so I take my time.

Coming home typically fills every social need – as long as we’ve all had relatively good days and aren’t too preoccupied with our own business to pay each other mind. You see, my mom is a listener – she’s the one I get most of my obvious traits from so it should come as no surprise that my love of listening comes from her. When we get together, I catch her up on everything that I’m doing, thinking, feeling, or going through. She’s inquisitive and genuine with her love of people so if you had the opportunity to grab a cup of coffee with her, she would show the same attention to you as she does to me when we get together. We often end up chatting at such lengths with one another that we find ourselves sitting in a room by ourselves for long bouts of time without realizing everyone else has left us.

My sister allows me to listen. She’s a very passionate person and shares her passions with everyone around her. It’s funny; we’re very different – yes, that is one of my favorite phrases regarding my sister and me – but I’m learning that it makes our relationship even more precious. We could continue, like we once did, to avoid conversation because our interests don’t match up and it is not uncommon for us to carry on two different conversations at the same time – but we don’t. We make an effort with one another and although she knows her passions may not be embraced as wholly by me as herself, she gives me the opportunity to listen and find passion from her own – it’s similar to the reminiscing mindset I mentioned before. Attitudes are contagious.

My dad, as do most men – so I’ve read – enjoys side-by-side social interaction. We don’t need to “catch up” as much as we need to be next to one another doing something. He is probably the one who makes me work the most for social interaction because he separates from the group to give me an opportunity to seek him out. When the three women get together with my dad, we think we’re including him because he’s sitting with us, but he can’t compete with our fast-paced, scattered conversations. He requires my full attention and that is a difficult thing for me – an avid phone checker or fidgeter (despite my love of listening). We don’t say much but it gives us both the opportunity to appreciate one another and unwind a little bit. I’ll say, it wouldn’t be a lie to admit that it also helps me to put my technology addiction in check for a short time as well.

That’s my family. They’re the total package – each embracing a different form of communication so I can stay well versed in the art form. Ha – okay, on second thought, that was a pretty bold statement about my own communication skills. Misleading even!

That being said, time for bed!

(Post 1 of 2 for the weekend minimum. Exhausted.)