the sound of comfort

Last year, I was in the market to purchase a dishwasher. As the salesman ran through his spiel and the choices, one of the main selling points on several models was how quiet they were. For me, this was not an asset as much as something missing, something lacking from the complete "dishwasher experience". 

I've always liked the sound of the dishwasher. It's one of those noises that you often hear in the evening as the day draws to a close, as everything else quiets down. To me, the dishwasher is a comforting sound, like all is well with the world. I've thought about this several times since the dishwasher shopping experience, and I have a few realizations about why it feels this way. 

The sound means several things:

- you have electricity

- you have running water

- most likely, you've just eaten

- for a child, this means you most likely have a parent or other adult who is doing the dishes and probably taking care of you, too

How much of the world has all of those things? 

A dishwasher is absolutely not a necessity. It's one of those modern conveniences that make life easier, more comfortable. I appreciate having a dishwasher, and as I hear the whir of it running while the rest of the house is quiet, I'm grateful for all of the other things that having a dishwasher means.