I need silence like I need oxygen. Silence deserves high praises. Definition of “ode”: a lyric poem typically of elaborate or irregular metrical form and expressive of exalted or enthusiastic emotion.
Silence is my playtime, my happy place. That’s where my “brain vacations” take place. Sinking into it is invigorating, a place where I feel I can move moutains and change the world.
Being alone in silence, lost in my thoughts, means that there is no one to judge me. They can get as wild and far-fatched as I let them. I like that.
If someone handed me a manual or guide on being me, it would state, “This girl requires lots of alone time for optimal performance.” Long ago I figured out that this is the condition I need to be a creator. In the beautiful quiet is where novel thoughts are born, creative solutions found, and hope kindled for endless possibilities.
Oh, how I love it! Dare I say, it is my drug of choice.
Finding silence
Silence is not easily found. As a young mother and then the mother of teens, it was nonexistent. It was in young parenthood that I discovered the shortcomings of my brain. Little was I to know that children and external factors would upset my very fragile brain structure.
It was always, as is now, family first. Even though constant chaos and no breaks was akin to mosquitoes around my head, I persevered.
I stubbornly tried to carve out time. The more I carved, the more the family found me (they love me, they really do!). If I got up earlier in the morning, they also arose earlier. It was challenging. I became a night owl, but then my husband missed me, I tried to sneak in me time during the day, but then the kids lacked quality care.
Motherhood lasted a long time for me, as my kids were all spaced out five years apart (God’s plan, not mine). Being a great mother meant everything to me, and I would have no second chances.
Finally, I settled for bits and pieces of time to read, discover hobbies, or work on projects. The limited time was never enough to get anything off of the ground for the self-employment I dreamed about. When the kids were a little older, I took a full-time job, realizing I needed structure in my life (and a real income).
Somehow I knew, I would never get back to where I wanted to be… until now. I am one of those late bloomers. It is a season of life where I do partake in more peaceful silence. I feel long overdue joy creeping in.
If I had to do it over, I would have asked my support system to allow me to have breaks, or make some other arrangement. Quiet times, walks, me time was critical to keep me in good health. As a mother of adult children, I try to help them out as I can, because I realize how important breaks are.
My prayer for you is to find the golden silence and balance in your life your brain needs. God bless!
ODE TO SILENCE
Silence—cool, unshaken, deep,
A space where restless thoughts can sleep.
No static hum, no blaring light,
Just room to breathe, just air, just night.
The world is loud, it rushes fast,
It drowns the wisdom meant to last.
But silence lingers, strong and still,
A quiet force, a steady thrill.
No need for words, no frantic race,
Just open sky, just boundless space.
In hush, in pause, in calm refined—
That’s where the soul and silence bind.
