Zen and the Art of the One Word Conversation

We don't talk much here. Hubby and I can sit around for days without saying more than a few words to each other. It's not that we don't communicate, it's just that we are always so much on the same wavelength that it isn't necessary. Our friends think we're strange, as they have overheard some of our abbreviated conversations. Such as, on break at work:

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"We do have extra tickets."
"Book the hotel for Friday and Saturday."
"Great."

The real gist of this dialogue was to surprise the kids with a weekend trip to Disney over the Thanksgiving holidays last year. It was completely spur of the moment and had nothing to do with anything else that was going on at the time, but WE knew what we were talking about.

This really doesn't bother me at all. In fact, in May, my mother was spending time at our house recovering from knee surgery as we have a more open floor plan than she does. I was stunned at how much she and Dad talk. I mean, all the time! It wore me out. I have learned to relish the peace and quiet of our relationship.

That said, I don't want my kids to get into the popular teen habit of the one word conversation.

"How was school today?"
"Meh." (OK, that doesn't even count as a word, really.)

"What would you like for dinner?"
"Whatever."

"It's your turn to do the dishes."
*eye roll and heavy sigh* (No word there either.)

So I make it a point to have conversations, with them. Girlygirl tends to talk a lot in the car, so I’ll drag her to the store to see what is going on in her life. Rock Star tends to spill his guts in the hot tub. (Not literally, Ewww…). There’s a lot of prattle about Skittles dying her hair blue and not being able to play anything but Halo on the server. But I listen. My hope here is that when there is a real problem in their lives they won’t just tell me “Meh.”