the weight of silence
January 24, 2013 § 2 Comments
For the last two evenings I have been reading a book with my daughter whose characters have gifted us insight into the weight of silence. A young man born without the gift of speech created a dialogue of silence that has settled into a thoughtful distraction.
I often think of silence as a living organism that fills space and noise with value. Without the delicate balance of silence, sound would be hollow.
Today my mind was preoccupied by the thoughts we shape into words, crafted with intent, and the words we steal away for ourselves into silence. Words of comfort we do not share, apologies we hide beneath defensiveness, honesty cloaked in polite clichés. Of course there are also those words whose harm is more damaging than silence.
Recently another’s words and silence have allowed me a glimpse of truth reflected in the space between us. I think of the words I wish I could take back and those I wish I could have shaped into sound beside the words they’ve chosen, all the while realizing the lessons I have gained in self and friendship.
It is a small moment. Nothing novel or noisy in its truth, but a timely reminder and a moment of clarity at a well placed intersection in my life.
The benefits of silence are certainly overlooked these days by a society that demands every moment of attention through shouts.
It sounds like time well invested in a book.
I couldn’t agree more. The constant push and pull on our time and space is overwhelming. My children are growing up in a world where everything moves quickly with multiple distractions. Teaching children the value of stillness and silence is essential for their mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Learning to choose their words and measuring their weight against silence is essential to creating healthy relationships with others and honoring their sense of self.