I’m sitting in the quiet, staring out the window. Outside, it’s rainy and cold.

I’m “nannying” this weekend through next Wednesday. The kids are sleeping, so I have a rare chunk of time to myself. At first, I grab the remote and turn on—yes, you guessed it—Grey’s Anatomy. It feels like the perfect time to catch up.

(How do you catch up on a show you’ve seen forty billion times?)

Almost immediately, I turn it off and decide to just sit here in the quiet.

Is that weird?

I can’t remember the last time I sat alone in a room with no noise. Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I sat alone in a room at all.

I’ve been parasailing three times. The first time, I am terrified—a complete nervous wreck.

Until I get in the air.

The captain of our boat tells us that once we reach the highest altitude, we won’t be able to hear anything. He says the world will feel silent and not to freak out—it’s normal. I can’t explain the science behind it, but he’s right. There are hundreds—probably thousands—of people walking, swimming, and playing on the beach below, and I don’t hear a single sound.

We float in complete silence for fifteen minutes. Words can’t describe the feeling. Consider this your sign to parasail if you’ve never done it.

While this moment isn’t quite like being three hundred feet in the air, it’s a close second.

I like it. My brain and body feel calm.

Consider this your sign to sit in a quiet space alone.

Wait.

Is that a kid I hear…?