Not long ago my family teased me about going to bed so early. Okay, so they might have a point since technically I go “to bed” around 8:00—and in the summer months, that’s before the sun goes down. I also realize that’s when some people are just sitting down to dinner. In my defense, though, it’s all part of a wonderful routine I’ve established with my disabled son. He’s nineteen, but chronologically functions closer to a two-year old. I think of him as a handicapped version of Adam before the fall. He has absolutely no knowledge of evil, either doing something evil or thinking anyone else would do him evil, either.

Anyway, before I go farther off topic than that, my son comes with quite a bit of noise. He is the champion of “raspberries” which for him is a necessary sensory thing but for the rest of us is . . . well, annoying. A while back we introduced him to our Kindle Fire, so he can watch kid’s videos. And guess what? Putting on those earphones must be a balm to his sensory needs. It quiets him. Sadly, the earphones don’t seem to work during the day, when he can easily move from activity to activity. But by the end of the day he’s happy to be sitting comfy, and we’re happy to have him where he won’t drop the Kindle on a hard surface or . . . well, anyplace wet if you know what I mean.

So while he’s watching kids programming, I can read a book, work from my laptop or watch regular t.v. myself. My room has become my happy place, and our bed the “family bed” at least for a couple of hours on most nights. I suppose it’s a strange picture to imagine all of us together on this family bed: me with a book, my 19-year-old son with his Kindle and my husband either reading or watching something of his own choosing. But as a family with a handicapped loved one, it’s not the only strange picture we’ve created! More importantly, it’s the one time of day when we can enjoy the quiet. It’s a happy place for all of us.

Do you have a happy place? A room in your home or a favorite haunt that brings you peace? A place that offers comfort? Maybe it’s someplace outside of home, perhaps connected to special memories. Wherever it is, I hope you get to visit it often!

P.S. On another note, I invite you to my website this Friday to take part in a Scavenger Hunt! The prizes are spectacular, from a Kindle Fire HD to books from 30 different Christian authors. The Hunt actually starts at noon (Mountain Time Zone) on Friday, October 17th and runs through Sunday, October 19th. It originates on Robin Lee Hatcher’s site. Many of us are running smaller contests within the Hunt, so it promises to be lots of fun – I hope you can join us!