Harry's silence in the pages of our home.

The final Harry Potter book became the prized possession of our two children, as of yesterday. The result, two teenagers glued to the pages of this adventure. We have not seen their eyes or had much conversation. With the healthy sibling competition, they are determined to outread the other and finish the book first. It started when our son was in fourth grade. We preordered the book and that was it. The usual guitar booming, music playing, tv watching, has come to a screeching halt with the arrival of these two books. As our son is in the playroom reading, our daughter is on the deck. Except for the occasional glance to see where the other's book page is, there is little contact. I am sure this is what the empty nest thing will be like, the silence that fills the rooms greater than the light that comes through in the morning. I am so thankful our children love to read. It is a comfort when life becomes so busy. As the day hours burn with each turning of the page, it will be interesting to see who finishes first. I am sure there will be teasing and the proclaiming of the greater, but the final chapter isn't only in the writing of these books, but in the ending of a summer that won't be the same next year. Whether Harry Potter dies or not, we don't know, yet. We do know it is the end of a childhood tradition that grew up with our children. Silence. I have to look around to see if I am in the right house.