Russ and I did a triathlon with Daniel last week-end. Daniel is almost 20 years old, and like all people his age, busy with his life. He is on the swim team at Mankato State and wants to stay in shape over the summer. We wanted to spend some time with him this summer, but he is working 60 hour weeks, and when he is home, he is desperate for his social life with his friends. So where does that leave us? Doing laundry and making sure there is lunch meat for the next week. That is why when he asked us to do the tri with him, we said yes, so we could spend some time with him. We are going to surprise him and join him for another tri this week-end as well. As I am training for this, I listen to a lot of oldies. Neil Diamond, Abba, etc. Neil has a song called A Beautiful Noise. I love it because he is taking in all the sounds of life, and enjoying them. I think of the sounds of my life. I wake up to the sound of birds singing, or dogs barking. I hear the cows mooing, and when I feed the pigs I hear their snorts. I listen as Amy tromps down the stairs for breakfast, and the shower running when Anna is awake. The washing machine, dish washer, lawn mower, pressure washer are all common sounds. When the grandchildren are here, I get to hear a baby cooing, the excited shrill of a toddler when he sees the puppies, doors slam and balls bounce. The best sound is “Grandma, I love you” I hear Russ’s truck pull up and my heart leaps that my best friend is home. My cell phone rings and my daughters are checking in on me. All these sounds are the music of my life.They make a beautiful melody!