THURSDAY THOUGHTS - Embracing the Luscious Silence

About two weeks ago my son, Ryan and I took a little time off together. He left the stress and frenzy of his New York City job behind and I bid goodbye to the Wasatch Mountains as we headed to the hot temperatures and red dirt of St. George, Utah, to spend a few days with my father. This was a different trip, the first for Ryan since his “Grandma Joyce”, my mother, passed away in January of this year. After placing fresh flowers and a Classic Coke, her favorite drink, on her grave, we headed south.

Ryan even left the cap slightly loosened like he always did for her when she was alive.

Although we visited Grafton, our favorite ghost town, hit a movie, and saw the incredible production of Aladdin at the Tuacahn Theater near my father’s home, we had plenty of time between activities  to rest, be still, relax and “just be” for a while. Ryan rested from his stressful job with Ralph Lauren, and I embraced the luscious silence around me.

Dag Hammarskhold, the Danish statesman and philosopher once said, “Silence is the language of God and it is also the language of the heart.” It is interesting to note that the word “heart” contains within it the word “hear”, and “listen” has the same letters as the word “silent.” In this noisy world we experience on a daily basis, silence is at a premium. We literally must make room for it in our lives so we can stay connected to the spirit within us. One of my favorite scriptural phrases is, “Be still and know that I am God.” It is well worth the effort to plan time every day away from phones, computers, TV’s, traffic jams and people.

During some quiet moments on this trip, I thought about the differences in my Father’s life compared to mine. His life is probably too silent now that my mom is gone. He does his best to keep busy, spend time with friends and family, and volunteers his services to others. He says he stays as busy as he wants to be because home is his favorite place to be. My life is much different. With work, fitness goals, church and family activities, household responsibilities, appointments, and all the rest, I must MAKE time for meaningful silence in my life. When I do, I find my days to be more peaceful, and when I don’t, I have unnecessary anxious moments.

I decided to tweak my eating habits on this trip, and also my fitness routine. I am now well on my way to making these improvements. I remember a song many years ago that had the lyrics, “Silence is Golden.”  I agree with that phrase whole heartedly. My father also reminded me during our visit this time, that silence may be misunderstood but never misquoted. I think we all need more of this in our lives even if we have to steal it!

Kathy Christensen
Survivor
Member, Lifting Hearts