The Song of Silence

In full confession, I must admit that I am a talker, a talker from way back.  My parents used tell the story of how I used to sit on the edge of their bed as a small child, waiting for them to wake up so I could talk to them.  (As I grew they sent me to my grandparent’s house down the street to “share some of my words with them.”  I am so very sure they were pleased!)  I can’t even tweet because 140 characters is hardly enough for me to get started!

For whatever reason, most helpful people feel the need to ask me,  if I know I talk a lot... They often look at me with the most glorious look of discovery in their eyes.  I usually thank them for their insights and promise I would love the opportunity to talk with them about that discovery.  (I have found they usually RUN.)

So when the mind musing of the Song of Silence came to me I was quite intrigued.  Silence – as a song?  What is a song with no words or music? As I began to explore this thought, my mind, of course, had to make up a song, yes with words and music to fill the silence.  OK, so not exactly silence, but I got the song part right.  Sigh…

So as I prattled through my house, I began to notice the talking in my head. The running commentary on everything, this is good, this needs cleaning, this is a floor, etc.  No silence there.  The words seemed as if there were pulsating from my brain.  A constant commentary on everything, 

Outside I go, to hear the song of silence.  Ah, I hear the birds chirping, the sounds of the Calliope on the Natchez Steamboat, the tugs on the Mississippi River, and yet there I was commenting on all of them.  Wonder what kind of bird that is? Why do they always play those songs?  Wonder where those barges are going? 

Then it dawned on me the song of silence must come from within me.  To observe things as they are with no judgments, no thoughts, just be completely with the observed.  To watch and wonder with complete abandon.  To allow the moment to come to me with all of its secrets and hidden beauty.  To let it speak to me so that I could take in this most precious moment in its entirety. 

As I began to relax in this moment, the song of silence appeared, for I was silent and the whole world spoke to me.  Gratefully I am silently singing.