Silence And I

Stars shined through the scattered clouds. It was still dark this morning when I arose, a slight chill in the air. Mostly what I noticed was the silence. No cars driving by, no birds chirping, no breeze through the trees, no rain upon the window.

Consider the power of silence: listening to your heart, thinking clearly, readying the soul to converse with God. We search for silence in quiet places such as forests, the sea, places of worship, libraries, our homes. There are no distractions in silence; it is in silence that we can find what is truly important in our lives. Thoughts that occupy our minds tend to vanish when we sit in the silence. Silence gives our minds an opportunity to sort out our thoughts, tossing aside the unnecessary while allowing the important enough time to form and crystallize.

As I finish writing this morning, the silence has been replaced by the sounds of birds, the clucking of chickens, the scampering feet of cats, cars passing by, an airplane lifting off from the airport. The remnants of the morning silence will remain with me throughout the day, reminding me to take a moment and just be.