Day 6: Silence

"The earth is rude, silent, incomprehensible at first; Be not discouraged — keep on — there are divine things, well envelop'd; I swear to you there are divine things more beautiful than words can tell." 


~Walt Whitman

I love this man. He was controversial in his writings and in his lifestyle, however he shared many valuable lessons with us. I remember the first poem I heard by him was Oh Captain! My Captain! while watching Dead Poets Society. Maybe I had heard his works before, but that was the first time a remember one of his poems.


There is something to be said for silence. It often denotes the amount of comfort we have with someone. Being a teacher has told me silence is not always a bad thing, but a time for reflection, observation, and rumination. 


I remember many times when I have been with people and we sit in silence. We are comfortable. The other night I was in the kitchen cooking and cleaning, and I sat in semi-silence with someone. I didn't feel a pressure that we had to be talking all the time, but that when the time was write conversation occurred.


Silence also gives time for people to put their thoughts together. While we may be ready to talk about something, others are not. Here there are two choices: Push for the answers, or leave it be until the person is ready. 


My mind is inquisitive and wants to know everything now. I often find myself the former, pushing for the answers in the moment I want them. A lot of times I get them, but it puts undo strain on the relationship. Sometimes I wake up in time to realize I need to leave it alone, and later I receive the answer in its best and purest form. And then there are times I have to concede and realize I may never know, or there may possibly be a day in the future I will understand. 


Thomas Carlyle, another great writer, wrote, "Under all speech that is good for anything there lies a silence that is better. Silence is deep as Eternity; speech is shallow as Time." The thoughts, feelings, and Conversations we have in the hallways of our inner silence will find their way to our hearts. Whereas the things of speech are often shallow and said in moments of fire.

Those who are at most peace with themselves, know their answers come when their lives are still. "Great souls endure in silence," said philosopher Friedrich Schiller.