In Praise of Silence...

   If someone forced me to choose just one characteristic of winter in Maine that I love I would say its silence.  During a snowfall everything is hushed.  Even the occasional car that drives by seems muffled.  The world is snuggled under a soft white blanket and it is a lovely place to be.

   It is in the silence
that my hope is, and my aim.

Wendall Berry

    Silence is often thought of as the absence of noise but it is so much more than that.  It is an embracing envelop of calm and serenity that wraps around your heart. Unfortunately, true silence is something most of us never experience.

   I don't so much try to eliminated noise from my life as I try to lessen the effect it has on me.  I try to embrace a silence of spirit that makes the noise tolerable.  Walking in the woods after a snowfall is the closest I have come to experiencing the real fullness of silence and it too is a wonderful place to be.  In the joyous hubbub of the holiday season which is fast approaching, carve out for yourself moments of silence whenever you can.  You will re-join the festivities refreshed.  If you need a bit more convincing, check out these 10 reasons for making time for silence in your life...

10 Reasons to Include Silence, Rest and Solitude in your Life