Silence and Solitude

After a busy summer of self-discovery, adventures, and healing, I am ready for a few quiet moments at home.
The cooler, shorter days provide the perfect opportunity to grab a blanket, a book, and enjoy a quiet afternoon of peace and quiet.

It wasn’t until my first afternoon of quiet that I realized how noisy my days had become. Working from home with just my dogs, I thought I had cultivated the perfect haven of peace and quiet I needed to recuperate from life’s stressors. I was done with the drama and gossip of an office setting. Instead I chose to retreat to my home and create a safe haven to heal and find myself.

Yet my haven wasn’t quiet. The chaos of others slowly seeped in. My days were filled with self-doubt, tears, emails, schedules and innumerable text notifications. And on truly bad days, I could hear the echoes of my pain. Sitcoms filled the silence. I hadn’t created a safe haven to heal; I had built a hiding place.

Realizing I had yet to sit in silence, feel my pain, and allow myself to work through the moments, I decided that I had to take the step.

A somewhat overwhelming sense of dread filled me as a I wondered what boundaries needed to be set, which ones would crash, and what friendships would end. Most importantly, what I would learn about myself?

I didn’t want to learn any of these things or to experience any more endings. I was ready for beginnings, happiness, and growth. Yet, one thing was certain, without the moments of pain and the endings, beginnings would never happen.

For years, I have lived on a school schedule. September is the start of a new year, the time to set routines, set goals, and work. The months after summer, a season of rest, was the time to start new projects, to grow, and embark on new adventures. And for me, the greatest adventure of 2022 is to learn to sit in silence, and be comfortable at home without the stress of a milelong to-do list. My time is here. And while I have no desire to start the adventure, the only way I can move forward and become the person I am meant to be is to learn to sit in silence.

How many of us dare to sit in silence? The noise of life is nonstop. Our cellphones never stop ringing or sharing the latest news. Remember the days when we could leave the house and not be found? When a walk in the park was truly a walk in the park? What would happen if we unplugged for a day, turned off the television and just sat and pondered the beauty of a sunset or dug in the dirt and planted flowers? Shorter days and cooler temperatures are an invitation to grab a cup of tea, a good book, and snuggle in for a quiet afternoon.

Don’t let this season of peace slip by. Rest. Enjoy the moments before the chaos of the holiday season begins.

Sara Orellana is a community volunteer, entrepreneur, author, amateur chef, and advocate for rescued animals. She may be reached by email at [email protected].