Don't Be Stingy!

If we but sit in silence we shall take in and breathe out what we are meant to offer the world.  For the world needs our perspective.  The things taken in have been viewed for millennium...but it is in the filtering that fresh perspectives are breathed out and the ancient becomes new.

  Could it be your civic duty to breathe new life into the mundane that has become antiquated due to lack of curiosity and/or mindfulness?  Unique perspectives could change the world for the better if those called to slow down and notice SHARED insight and therefore offered hope.  Be brave. Find YOUR voice.  Perhaps it resonates a deeper voice that longs to speak Hope, Peace, Courage, and Wisdom to this world.

 Why not you? 

Silence is Golden ... What color is Deafening Bedlam?

  Over the last few days I've been hitting the social media stuff pretty hard.  Facebook, e-mail, and...(I'm embarrassed to admit I don't know if the phone is considered social media or just outdated)...texting probably counts so I'll throw that in here too since I've done a lot.. hbu? 

  All this input has caused me to ... well, freak out a bit.  Please understand I have been living the "unseen life" of mothering for a decade and a half now and this sudden exposure of my life is a bit like walking into neon-bright sunshine after having been nestled in the shaded forest for eons.  I suppose my urge to "shut down" and hide today is a bit like the reaction of pupils contracting when a flashlight is pointed directly in the eye (as in a concussion test).  Eventually, the contracted pupil, as well as my flagging confidence, will expand to let more light in once it does not perceive itself as threatened.

  But for today, nerves on edge and wanting to flee to anonymity I headed to my favorite destination to walk: the nearby cemetery.  Strangely, this place holds no morbid fascination nor fear for me.  Instead, I appreciate the silence that soothes like a balm to my frenzied pace.  It's also hard to miss the fact that the stone markers I pass each lend quiet testimony to a life once lived -- but no longer.  They also serve as a reminder that "this too, shall pass."  There are no intrusive voices,  perhaps an occasional muted tone discussing which lot to mow next or where to plant the flowers.  There's an air of reverence and a gentle breeze that lifts my spirit and reminds me to press on and remember that I am not laid to rest yet.  I make eye contact with my beautiful blue-eyed daughter who's been riding along in her stroller and together we smile as a goose flies overhead honking for it's flight mates to wait up.  And just like that I am centered once again -- reminded to recognize the beauty that is right in front of me instead of training my eyes to the future.

  I will be back out to "play" with all my new friends soon, but for today I will soak up the silent comfort of the golden sunbeam drenching my shoulders in warmth and feel the paved road with each firm step I take leading me back home.  I will hold onto this golden silence as long as I'm able.  And ... I will imagine the day we've been told of -- when we shall meet more than Facebook friends...but all folks who have walked the face of the earth.  Can you imagine the fantastic stories we'll hear...of heroism and heartbreak.  We will have FOREVER to hear the intricate details from the perspective of legends and we'll discover the unsung tales of the quiet souls who helped shape eternal history...

But, again, what is in front of me instead of what is to come...Kids just got home from school;)