Welcome to Story Time
Welcome to Story Time, where I Explore tales spun from my pure imagination or crafted as a written rendition of clips and movie scenes I’ve encountered. Here, I transform observed scenarios and imaginative visions into narratives that resonate with depth and emotion. I call this story A Father’s Quiet Refuge from Parenthood, enjoy.
A Father’s Quiet Refuge from Parenthood
A Quiet Refuge
It was one of those days when suddenly he had nothing to do. The sun was shining, the wife went out to finish some errands, the daughter was at school, and his baby boy had just been put down for a nap.
“Finally, I can go to the toilet,” thought the father as he went to his throne room and sat on every father’s throne.
It was quiet. Birds were chirping, the AC was on, and a beam of light from the usually hot summer weather illuminated the cold, dark room. A battle raged between the intense natural heat and the mechanical cold, one in which the father hoped the machine would win.
A Father’s Rare Moment of Peace
At that moment, it hit him—it was quiet.
As a parent, there was no quiet. Children were jumping around, the TV blaring with annoying catchy tunes, and a mother seeking relief like a wrestler waiting to tap the hand of his tag team partner to switch places. Usually, the only quiet place was this throne room, where he would escape and recuperate before heading back into the fray to face those monsters one more time and save the damsel in distress.
But this time, there were no little demons, no general to command him. It was just quiet.
The Father’s Shift in Perspective
The father had a moment of meditation. How he longed for quiet, how he sought silence. But when did he start to yearn for it? When did he make the shift? When did his mannerisms begin to resemble his father’s—and any father’s, for that matter?
Wasn’t quiet and silence something he used to run from, something he hated, something that bored him? What had changed? Did it change? No—he changed. He had become a veteran who came back from war and decided to live away from people on a farm or cottage, in the quiet of nature.
In the past, loneliness was the bane of his existence, but now it had become hope, something to long for. When did that happen, he wondered.
Mindfulness in the Throne Room
Birds chirping, white noise, and the possibility of engaging in almost abandoned hobbies. But for that moment, the father sat on that throne, remembering his psychologist’s advice to be more mindful—whatever that meant.
But he sat for a moment, enjoying the peace away from his job, his drill sergeant wife, and his lovely little natural disasters, before he would move again before he would go and do whatever he wanted in the finite amount of free time he had, which rarely occurred.
The Inevitable Return to Chaos
He finally decided to move. This peaceful moment would come again. He would come back to his throne room and sit on his throne in the toilet for half an hour, licking his wounds in hopes that he could recover just enough to withstand the storm and the fiery, cold gaze of his wife when she says:
“You said five minutes.”
Reflections on Parenthood
Though this story comes from my imagination, I know how real and relatable it might feel to fellow parents. As a father, I understand the longing for those rare moments of peace and quiet, and how our perspectives shift over time. If this story resonates with your own experiences, know that it wasn’t drawn from anyone’s specific life, but rather from the shared experiences many of us navigate as parents. Sometimes, our imagination can capture the universal truths we all feel.
Invitation for Feedback
Thank you for taking the time to read my micro-story. I’d love to hear your thoughts if you have any feedback or enjoyed this narrative. Your insights are invaluable as I continue refining my craft and sharing these life glimpses. You can reach out to me through my website here or connect with me on the Skool platform here. And if you ever want to talk about the challenging journey of parenthood and the often unrecognized role of a father, I’m here and happy to chat through these same channels. Thank you again for reading.