… and how wonderful is this?

For those of my friends who know me well they may find this hard to believe … but here it is … almost the end of the day … and I have not spoken a word. Not only that, but I have enjoyed almost total silence this whole day.

The phone has not rung. Neither have I made any calls.

Nobody has visited. Neither have I gone out into the world.

There have been no messages, IM’s or texts from anyone. Neither have I messaged, IM’ed or texted.

There is no sound of radio, nor television, nor flash animations, nor you tube videos, nor digital sounds … nothing.

I have not posted to my private blog, neither have I read anyone else’s blog.

I have not begun any projects, neither have I feverishly finished any overdue projects.

True silence is the rest of the mind;  it is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment.

~William Penn

What have I done, you ask?

I have thought.

I have meditated.

I have prayed.

I have remembered.

I have taken a leisurely shower with no hurry to finish.

I have made a singular cup of coffee and mentally thanked the people at Keurig for making something that suits me so perfectly.

I have wandered slowly about the house and enjoyed the way it now looks.

I silently gave thanks for those friends who encouraged me to begin the renovation that allowed it to look this way … and who helped me to do it all along the way.

I picked up the few things that were in need of being put away … and put them away.

I have marveled at how perfect the house now is for me … and me alone.

I have allowed the dishwasher to clean all the dishes to be done … and thought how blessed I am to not have to wash them by hand.

I have cooked a nourishing meal … eaten it … and allowed myself to have a second helping.

I have considered myself fortunate … as I wrapped that which was left to save for another meal … that I have food to eat and a roof over my head.

I have read Facebook, but have not posted. Much.

I have read my emails, but have not responded. At all.

I have caught up on current events and laughed at the top quotes of the year.

I have allowed myself to play Sudoku, Solitaire, Mah-Johng … and a few Jigsaw Puzzles … all on the PC. Then allowed myself to take pleasure in the winning and completion of these things.

I let my mind wander … to those things that I might write about … in a novel perhaps … or a future blog entry.

And experienced gratitude at the freedom I have to write whatever I want … in whatever manner I choose to write.

I know all of this might sound terribly mundane to you … but to me it was refreshing … healing … relaxing … unexpected … and totally enjoyable.

It certainly was not what I intended from the onset of the day. But it was the way things turned out.

I am grateful for all that is in my life at this point.

The people, the beauty, the memories, the health … and the future that lies ahead.

It is, for me, the joy of the journey.

Not merely an absence of noise, Real Silence begins when a reasonable being withdraws from the noise in order to find peace and order in his inner sanctuary.

~Peter Minard