COMPANIONABLE SILENCE

Stop and think.

 When you get in your car, do you turn on the radio before you start the engine? 

When you are home, is your TV on even when you are not in the room?  

  I remember my mother singing as she did housework. Filling the void.

  And then there was Benson. He was a local businessman known for singing as he walked down the street.  He had a nice voice and sang loudly and enthusiastically, smiling and waving at people as he passed.

  Perhaps we are afraid of silence.

Why would we want to avoid our own thoughts?

On the other hand, do you have a friend you can be with in companionable silence?

I was so blessed at one point in my life.

Her home was on a tidal creek.  We would walk the narrow wooden walkway over the marsh to the dock.  A bench-swing hung under a covered area.  We would sit, swinging slowly back and forth, as we shared family news and our plans for the future.  There were also moments filled with quiet marsh sounds as the creek water flowed in and out and birds flew overhead.  We did not need to constantly talk. I value the memory of my visits with Barbara.

Silence, shared with a friend, can be calming, comforting, and without price.

Try it sometime,

 Until We Meet Again

Mary Nolan Brown