I am a lover of silence. Silence in my surroundings. Silence in my mind. I consider it precious.
This relationship and love with silence did not happen overnight; I have been exploring and nurturing it for many years.
For most of my life, I felt uncomfortable in silence and would organize my day and life actively, avoiding it. There was constant noise in my life and my mind, and the thought of sitting in silence, of being silent, felt foreign and uncomfortable. I never gave it any thought until one day, I did.
This past week, I had another shift in perspective about silence when my sister, Deb, and I invited a woman named Anna from the Ukraine, along with a group of friends, for dinner.
Anna lives in Kyiv. When we first met, I asked her how she was enjoying London. She said it was like a vacation. She shared how she loves silence and commented on how quiet it was here in London.
Matter-of-factly, she said no drones or missiles were being launched in the middle of the night so she could relax in a way she couldn’t at home. Something that occurs more than once a week in Kyiv.
When Anna shared this, I didn’t have words to respond.
Thinking about hearing explosions in the middle of the night was out of my realm of experience, so much so, it was difficult to imagine. Here, I am getting annoyed with more traffic and people honking their horns. Learning of her experience was such an awakening.
Anna is in London working with Western University for a month and a half. In Ukraine, she works with an organization responsible for organizing and delivering gender violence prevention and support programs. Their work has intensified since the beginning of the war because, as we know, women and children become more vulnerable to gender violence during conflicts.
At dinner, we had many questions for her, and she said she appreciated being able to talk about Ukraine. It’s an essential way for her to feel connected to her home. We thoroughly enjoyed listening to everything she had to share.
Their new normal was hard to get my head around: the constant threat of attack, the deaths, the destruction, and loss, with no end in sight.
Anna is determined. When I listened to her, it felt like she was on a mission, and nothing would stop her. Her strength gave me strength.
While lying in bed that night, I had a new appreciation for silence, peace, and feeling safe in my cozy bed. I have gratitude most nights for these things, but I have a new perspective and appreciation after speaking with Anna.
We live in a busy, noisy world that does not encourage us to stop and enjoy the silence. Most people’s schedules and lives are packed full, and their minds are going non-stop to stay on top of it. There is little reprieve from the constant chatter.
When we live this way, we’re rarely present. Our mind is so full there is no space to hear the silence or be with the silence. We may even think there’s just no time for it.
But in silence, we connect with our inner world, our inner being and voice, and ultimately, our peace and happiness.
I wonder what our world would look like if more people took the time to pause and savour a moment of silence? To go inward and connect with the silence within, to be with the love and peace within our heart – even if it’s buried with stress, feelings, and conditioning, it’s there. It’s our true nature.
When we nourish this relationship with silence, this inner love and peace will radiate from us and contribute to the greater good of all.
I am so grateful to have met Anna. Her sharing pushed me to reflect on how precious silence is, how sacred peace is, feeling safe in my bed at night - and not taking it for granted.
May we send our loving prayers to Ukraine and all sentient beings of the world. May we find comfort and calm in the stillness.
With peace and love,
Diane