When I was young, I received an invitation into silence frequently from my mom. There were multiple reasons as to why I believed we lived in the country – our address was a Star Route, there was a horse across the road, there were what seemed like a thousand dogs next door, our house sat next to a forest, we had barb wire fence, there was hardly anyone my age nearby and a railroad was within a stone’s throw. We used to go down to the railroad track and fish in the little creek next to it! Believe you me, it was country to me! My sister was almost 8 years older than me so our paths did not cross much so Mom was the one I called on to play when I was bored which was most the time. I do have memories of playing with my mom from Flap Jack all night long to badminton to taking walks but there was the occasion when she told me no for whatever reason. It seems like yesterday and I hear her say, “Donna, why don’t you go sit underneath a tree and do some constructive thinking?” SERIOUSLY Really?
Wow Mom. Disappointed, I would do just what she said – I would literally go sit beneath a tree and think and ponder in the silence the outdoors offered me. I have her to thank for my thinking and my pondering and my wondering. She was a writer and I guess somewhere on the inside of her, she knew how to access that place in me that was called to write.
I hated quiet….but in the quiet I was forced to meet with me. I genuinely like me. I know….weird right? Honestly, I did not like me when I was little but I’m oldER now and I can go to the movies alone, out to eat by myself, take a drive alone, go to the park…it’s so refreshing to like myself. I meet a lot of folks who MUST have the sounds of tv, radio, music or talking around them to feel comfortable…and maybe it’s not the same with everyone…but I think maybe it’s a way to hide out from meeting ourselves…..SO BE BRAVER AND FIND YOURSELF IN THE QUIET 🙂
BE REALLY BRAVE AND Check out my book Woman Come Out of the Cave on Kindle for $4.95 – a walk down memory lane and you get to meet my Mama too!
Have AN AMAZING FANTABULOUSLY WONDERFUL DAY!!!
Until soon,
d
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