Let Kids be Kids

I managed to sneak upstairs, alone to say a few afternoon prayers.  The peace and quiet did not last long.  There was a huge ruckus on the main floor.  Our three youngest were running the circuit, beginning in the entryway and going through the kitchen, dining room, living room and into the entry again.  As they ran, chasing each other, they whooped, hollered, and screamed bloody murder.  They also laughed hysterically.  Every few minutes they would stop, breathless from galloping and laughing, only to catch a second wind and begin again.  I kept waiting to hear one of them run into a sharp corner or countertop.  I knew I should stop them, but I couldn't bear to end their enjoyment of each other.  I should have stopped them, but it is rare, indeed, to take pleasure in that magnitude of decibels.