Recently, Russell Shaw realized that he had texted his kids the same two words'Too loud'133 times since 2020. 'The backstory to each, I'm sure, was relatively consistent,' he writes. 'I was in bed, thinking about my schedule for the next day'a board meeting, a difficult conversation I needed to have'when from downstairs came the noise. Shrieks of laughter. Trash talk escalating over a video game ... Or perhaps it was someone deciding at 11 p.m. that they would absolutely die without a McFlurry, kicking off a negotiation over who should place the DoorDash order.' The texts Shaw had sent weren't just instances of minor annoyance: They have become a record of the precious time, he writes, when his kids and their friends were always around and the house was full. 'My children knew, I think, that the Too loud texts were not quite what they appeared to be'that, yes, I was saying Keep it down, but what I meant was closer to I know you're there; I'm glad you're here.' Shaw wishes he had...
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