After not being at the cabin for several weeks, I didn’t realize what I had been missing while traveling through chaotic airports, stuck on noisy airplanes, and amid noisy shopping crowds.
It wasn’t until I sat down on the front deck that I realized how desperately I craved peace and quiet. I was surrounded by three feet of snow, but I was lucky to be here during a lull in our winter storms when the temperature was in the high 40s and the sun warm enough that I could sit outside on a winter day wearing only a light jacket.
The silence was so complete that any sound felt profound. Above me, water coursed through the gutter as the snow melted on the roof. I could hear the cawing of the jays and the strange gurgling cry of a raven flying through the tops of the ponderosas. The wind softly plied the wind chimes as well as the branches of the pine trees.
I could feel my heart rate slowing and my brain unwinding. There was nothing else in the world demanding my attention but to sit here and experience this. It’s not the kind of quiet inside a house where the only thing you hear is the refrigerator working. Sitting outside, I could feel the presence of life—a steady hum composed of the wind, the sky, the birds, the water. It wrapped itself around me, filled all the cells of my being and restored me.
In these times of grave uncertainty and almost unbearable pain, I would wish this for the whole world.
Amen!
Posted by: Jennifer Woodhull | March 07, 2022 at 09:34 AM
In a long string a beautiful pieces this is one of the most beautiful. I was there on your porch with you, hearing the ravens in the ponderosas and the wind "plying"the chimes. And it struck me as a very original insight to realize how profound any sound seems in an otherwise silent natural setting. Also, the sense of presence and aliveness comes through loud and clear.
Posted by: Julene A Bair | March 07, 2022 at 10:02 AM
Beautiful and profound, thanks so much for reminding us that silence can be the most wonderful sound of all.
Posted by: Carol Christenson | March 07, 2022 at 02:39 PM
I loved this piece! Thank you for your words.
Posted by: shoneysien | March 11, 2022 at 08:01 AM