Tonight, after dinner while Staci and I were cleaning up dinner, the kids were running around the entire house like crazy people. The squealing and laughter was non-stop, and I know there are people that would tell the kids to hush.
In 2001, I was in Russia serving a mission for the LDS Church. A senior couple (retired husband and wife who want to serve a mission) went with my companion and me to visit a family with a small child, about 2-3 years old. The senior couple brought over a Matryoshka Doll.
While we in the states may think that everyone in Russia has multiple matryoshka dolls, that is not the case. This family had never owned one, and this little girl had certainly never seen one. The joy on her face was inspiring! She was so excited that there was something inside each of the dolls. The senior couple was giddy with excitement at her excitement. She was very loudly declaring how great it was that she could play with this matryoshka doll. She went on for quite a long time, and disrupted our meeting quite a few times with her excitement. There was, however, no shushing, no scolding, no reminders to use an "inside voice" or anything like that. Instead there was laughter, joy, and excitement from each of the 6 adults in the small apartment.
As we left that day, the senior couple husband told me, with tears in his eyes, how grateful he was for the sound of that child's laughter. He said, "That was the first time I have heard a child laugh like that since we arrived in Russia. I had forgotten how wonderful the sound of a happy child is."
So tonight, as Staci and I were cleaning up from dinner, and our kids were screaming and laughing through the house, I reveled in that joy and happiness. I am so grateful to be able to hear those shouts and exclamations of joy and laughter.
All too often, we are more focused on teaching kids to be quiet, to listen, to settle down, we forget that they are kids and we can let them be kids. Instead of being annoyed that they are happily yelling and carrying on, we can experience some joy at the simple things they do.
They were playing superheroes (them) and monsters (Staci and me), and as Staci and I took turns scaring them as they came around the corner, I realized that this is the best part of my life: spending quality, if loud, time with my wonderful little family, and hearing my ears ring from the high-pitched squeals of energetic and enthusiastic children.
Have a Good Life.