I finally understand. It took me having two children under the age of five to truly appreciate a scene from my past. To understand the desperate lengths a parent will go to for a precious moment of peace.

The year: 1978
The location: Bathroom
The activity: Hair Salon
The perpetrator: Me

Now, I can’t say for sure that my mom was pretending not to hear my friend and me pull towels from the hall closet, drag chairs down the hall, or run an endless supply of water and hair dryers, but I know that is exactly what I was doing.

The year: 2011
The location: Bathroom
The activity: Car Wash
The perpetrator: My 3-year-old son

I sat at our kitchen table, pretending not to notice the car tower being dragged down the hall. Pretending not to hear the back and forth ferrying of cars. Pretending not to hear the linen closet open and close. Pretending not to hear the splashing and clunking of “something” into the sink. But for a moment, everyone was content. Playing on their own. Happily. And no one needed me.

For a moment, I had peace.

But like all blissful moments, it had to come to an end. No longer able to ignore the warning sirens announcing the three year old’s path of destruction, I got up and searched him out. The scene, as you can imagine, was wet. Everywhere. Lines of water trickling down the mirror. Puddles on every surface. The car tower strategically placed for full launching impact. And in the middle of it all, one giddy boy, dripping like a wet dog.

So I ask, what will you ignore for a moment of peace?