One. more. week. I can make it!! 🙂
Today’s prompt: silence.
GO.
For an introvert, I’ve never been too big on silence.
I need noise. A distraction. Something in the background– music, TV, whatever. I’ve never been one to just sit in silence for long.
For some reason, silence freaks me out. I hear the natural noises of the house and outdoors- dogs snoring, floor boards creaking, wind blowing, neighbors talking, fireworks going off (my neighbors celebrate America year-round, apparently)… and it just overwhelms me.
(even now- I attempted to do this sans-music, but I couldn’t handle it!)
I thinks it’s because silence magnifies everything else around me, and that scares me a bit.
Even usually during my quiet time, I play music- whether it be soft worship music, or hymns, etc. Even if I’m trying to be still and listen to/for God, I usually have music on– music is one of the ways I connect to God, so I usually have it playing.
It’s taken me until recently to appreciate silence.
Even if it’s not always “pure” silence, peace and quiet have become very important in my life lately.
I live in a very loud, noisy house. With a barking/whining puppy, a loud grown dog, a very loud mom (I get it naturally) who blares her TV full-blast. Up until a week ago, we had roommates who spent most of their free time screaming at each other as a hobby. I’m surrounded by loud. It’s never quiet in my house.
Same goes for work. I work with toddlers all day-you can do the math. It’s never quiet. Even during naptime, there’s music playing.
The only place I have quiet is my back porch- it’s off of the house, screened-in, big and fully-furnished, and QUIET. One day this week I put the puppy to bed early and ventured out there and just sat for 20 minutes. No music, nothing. I just sat and breathed, painted my nails. I’ve been doing my quiet time out there too. But, the sitting in the quiet changed my day. I need to do that more often, for my sanity.
Earlier this week, Shauna Niequiest posted this thought about silence:
Silence used to terrify me. These days, though, silence is where I’m reminded what matters most.
Silence doesn’t terrify me as much anymore. Instead, it’s where I find the strength to fight through the noise.