Magic of Boredom

When the sun is high, and the days stretch on endlessly I find myself with nothing to do. The heat weighs me down. The boys repetitive routine starts to wear thin.

Today was the kind of day that melts you into a nap. Nonna Elisabetta rested, and I kept watch over the kids. The house was dark, offering a cool reprieve from the sweltering heat. Sale and Peppe, the newborn kittens, became our entertainment. I made an espresso, then tied stray yarn to last night’s wine corks, sending the boys off to play with the kittens, Sale e Pepe.

In these moments, it’s the boredom itself that opens up space for creativity. Amidst the stillness, the boys and I created.

We befriended Gabriel, the neighbor, who became our playmate for the weeks ahead. His 14-year-old brother often joined, and we spent afternoons talking about life in America, his curiosity endless. I discovered the boys’ newfound interest in drawing, and together, we envisioned female warriors and mythological creatures. We collected shells and wove them into patterns and art. Other days, we picked flowers and made little bouquets.

The beauty of stillness is that it allows us to hear what we often silence.

The beauty of boredom is that it invites us to create what we often ignore.