A few months ago, a very special priest at our church delivered a powerful homily about the value of silence. In his sermon, our priest challenged us to devote at least 5 minutes a day to quiet reflection, introspection and simply just relaxation. He described the virtues and benefits of merely doing nothing while listening to the inner voices of our mind and spirit. I could not agree more’ although I truly believe that we need a great deal more “silence time” than just those five minutes he was suggesting.
I believe that Father was suggesting simply five minutes of silence in order to get us started on our listening journey. In today’s society, trying to carve out even minutes just to be all by ourselves can indeed be quite a challenge. Cell phones and television and other electronic marvels compete for our time. Schedules, the demands of our jobs, the needs of our children as well as the myriad of tasks we need to complete by the end of the day, rip every bit of time from our demanding schedules. By the end of our day, all the time that remains is devoted to eating, cleaning the dishes and then retreating to the comforts of our beds and much-needed sleep. How can I possibly find any time to devote to silence?
My answer is “How can I not?” The value gained from pondering our inner-most thoughts can ultimately save us days in the future. I find my 5 minutes of silence time during my daily walks. I suffered a severe knee injury about a year and a half ago as a result of being struck by an SUV while on a business trip. As a result of this accident and during my physical therapy sessions, a doctor recommended daily walks to both strengthen by knee and help to reduce my weight; which, at the time, certainly was in need of a plan for improvement. I am proud to report that walking has helped both, exactly as my doctor predicted.
During my walks, which I perform every day now, I do not listen to music, text or email, I simply walk about a mile and a half through the streets and paths of my neighborhood. Many topics for this blog are uncovered during these walks and I have come to enjoy not only the pleasures and benefits of these daily trips throughout our neighborhood, but also the opportunity to explore what lurks up there, between my ears. Father Lamb was right, you will discover an inner peace when all you have to listen to is yourself.
The combination of a good workout, the outdoors and true silence can lead to some remarkable discoveries. I have vividly recalled words my parents spoke to me decades ago. I have solved problems I thought were truly impossible to fix, simply by allowing my thoughts to wander. I have unearthed old memories of days and people gone by and treasured these discoveries in the recesses of my mind. I have also witnessed some remarkable displays of beauty I never knew existed, literally, just down the street.
I have also found, as I am confident our wise priest meant for us to discover, a far better relationship with God. It seems that when you only have your inner self to contend with, you have a tendency to become a lot more spiritual. I have pondered the beauty of His creations in the flora and fauna I encounter on my daily jaunt among the lawns and roads of our little development. I have witnessed the changing of the seasons and the sounds of the universe that I somehow seemed to have missed prior to the advent of my nature walks.
During these now, much-awaited trips throughout our neighborhood, I have noticed the territorial wanderings of a red fox, watched a family of birds attempt their first flights and most importantly, rescued a very special cat we now call Dolly. I saved Dolly from being flattened by a car one bright fall morning and brought her into our home. We discovered she was deaf, (which might explain why she did not move from the street despite repeated honking from a very angry driver.) Dolly also came to us with many other problems and issues, but she is without a doubt, the most loving and accepting feline I have ever encountered. And I would not have found her without those walks and without listening to what was going on all around me. Treasuring silence truly brought Dolly into our home.
Father Lamb was correct, silence can bring many unexpected treasures into our lives. The irony is not lost on me that Dolly has perpetual silence in her life. I discovered the true meaning and value of silence by rescuing a cat who is experiencing and living silence every day of her life. I watch Dolly and learn a lot from her every day. She seems to stare into the distance at times and I swear there is a little smile on her face when she does this. What is she thinking, what is going on in her mind that makes her so serene? I am confident that her silence, though it is most likely all she has ever known, is a great comfort to her. Silence can be a similar comfort to us all, if only we take the time to rescue at least 5 minutes a day where interruptions and the noise of our modern society are put away. Treasure those moments and I can assure you, that you, like me, will able to carve out even more time; to simply listen to the rumblings of your soul. I can promise you, it will be a journey you will anticipate with gladness. Care out some silence now. You will thank yourself, I can promise you that. And maybe, just maybe, you will find that just a little bit of silence will change your life.