My Silent Day On Sunday August 1st

I was shocked. The sense of it standing there amid alligators in a freshly weather torn world gave me an immense feeling. It was as if this bird reminded me of shame, shame for being separate, for being human. Together we came face to face, and each sort of gave the other access. Shook, I tried to continue my walk, but I felt like I shouldn’t. The bird and the rest of the swamp, the rest of nature, were all around me suddenly watching.

The most noticeable sound was the noise of the street nearby, the bustle of cars and students walking to and from class. However, that noise soon settled into the background and I could hear the uncommon sound of birds. Sitting down on one of the benches on the south side of the garden, I put down my backpack and quietly observed for a few minutes. Only after slowing down could I truly see and feel the subtleties of the natural world around me.

Praise! God for a lovely and wonderful well spended time in solitude and silence with him. Forcing on what a great time it was now looking around my master bedroom you would think that I was still on a retreat in a solitude mode of state. My luggage?s is still pack books I don?t want to let go of is separate all over my dresser ,perhaps I didn?t get enough of that solitude at the retreat. I also recognized that it do not have to come to an end no matter where I might be at the moment. Never the less I must move forward in my spiritual journey. My luggages will be fine where it?s located and the books are the same.

On my last excursion, I had a particularly odd experience. I was sitting on one of the benches, contemplating, reminiscing, pondering. I noticed, after a while, a crow perched in a tree. Its beady eyes stared at me intensely but it never once opened its mouth. Incredibly peculiar that in my whole time at Culver I have never once seen a crow without hearing it’s piercing calls. I was astounded that this specific bird was sitting, fully aware of my presence, and yet wasn’t making a noise. Even more surprising, I missed

While we were sitting we started noticing all the fascinating creatures and wildlife around us in the woods. We saw multiple white tailed deer, a raccoon, three red bellied woodpeckers and even a brown skinny otter. Everything around me was mesmerizing. To just stand still and look around you and see the deer eating, the fish jumping in the stream or the sound of the woodpeckers ferociously pecking away at the pine trees. The noises, smells, the sight that fill your eyes with color and life just lift your spirit when you stop to look what's around you. Nature can be so inspiring and beautiful if you take the time to just look

It was a cool November morning when I arrived at my new home. The wind was blowing the birds were chirping and the trees were dancing in the cool autumn breeze. Many things have happened to and in this house and this is an account of these events.

I was left with Daniel, who sat still at the table and worked silently except for asking the occasional question. He knew I was infuriated. We hadn’t been talking for a whole week, and I wasn’t ready to forgive him. The day had gone by almost too quickly; the sun started to set, bobbing below the horizon and setting the sky on fire. From the floating mosque, the evening prayers blared out, booming like thunder in the silent house.

From the moment that I stepped out of the car and onto the St. Joseph’s Abbey property there was a silence, which was peaceful and unusual for me. As we left Holy cross where students walking out of Hogan and other cars driving by filled my ears, there was a striking difference with the abbey in which there was almost complete silence apart from our group of students conversing with one another. This really surprised me because it was unusual for me to be in such a calm and silent place and I instantly felt this feeling of peace come over me. I think that this silence and serenity is indicative of a simpler life in which one is able to block out all the distraction of the world around them and focus on their connection with God, which is

The small classroom was quiet and bleak, the only sound being heard was the shuffling of papers and footsteps down the hallway. Every student had been working on their projects, grinning proudly to the teacher as the young adult complimented their work. Although, all but one girl sat, coloring quietly and cutting out scraps of construction paper. This girl in particular had been staring out the window at the muddy landscape surrounding the structure of their humble school. As she glanced around the room, the old and creaky desks soon grew into magnificent trees, with elegant vines and branches that intertwined with one another. She smiled at the image of them, the small birds tweeting softly, singing their melodies to each other. The bright

I wiped the sadness from my face and gazed at the beautiful sunrise hoping to find salvation in its rays. For some weird reason, it felt comforting, like my brother was consoling me from the grave. Leaves were blowing with the wind and my hair brushed in and out of my vision. Birds sang to their children as the ball of flame rose higher, signaling morning. The chill hit me then, and I remembered that a shirt would probably be necessary today. The world really could be beautiful sometimes, if not for the bloodthirsty monsters trying to end me around every corner.

The night was so dark. Sitting in the cooling off car parked in my driveway, I allowed the night to wrap me up in all that it had to offer. The calmness and tranquility was refreshing and reaffirming. I took a deep breath in and closing my eyes, I breathed in all the good in my life. The crisp cool air rushed in along with the people I love, my good health and God’s abundant grace. When I couldn’t breathe in anymore and I felt as though my lungs might burst I breathed out everything negative. Like water out of a faucet, my frustrations, stress and doubts poured out and floated away into the night. I then reached for the door handle and stepped out of the car. I walked up to my dimly lit porch and fumbled through my purse for the door key. I was soothed by the comforting silence of

We got to the top of the parking structure where I parked my car right next to a dealership Chrysler 300. Hassan and I got out and stood on the ledge facing Westborn Mall. Sunlight was peeping through the clouds a few times, but overall it was a nearly overcast day: 30 degrees Fahrenheit with very light winds. Hassan and I sat on the ledge for a few minutes saying nothing. We were just enjoying the view and the weather. Tiny specks of snow fell and accumulated on the ground near us. I took a deep breath, looked up towards the sky, and closed my eyes. I didn’t think about anything. I just wanted to meditate for a few minutes. The ambient sound of the city was so calming that day. I felt free and

In the beginning the silence was empty and lacking. After a lifetime of togetherness, the lonely feeling of isolation cut deep within me. To have a mind of my own was both invigorating and petrifying, thoughts echoing far enough in the vastness to be lost on their own

An hour had passed, but it had felt like the earth around me had not moved. Everything was silent and still. Deer are quiet when they walk. I felt the gust of wind blow down my neck. The hair on my neck stood straight as I grabbed my coffee to warm up. It was still silent, but as the sun rose I could hear singing in my head. The warm glow of the morning sun painted the snow a shimmering orange. Birds began to chirp and swoop down from the trees to scavenge for seeds. I remained still in my stand, so I wouldn’t spook them, I am a guest here in their home.

I chose to take a day of silence from 2:00 pm to 10:30 pm. This day of silence was done on my way home for Thanksgiving. I spent 2 hours in the car in complete silence, without music or any other imported noise, breaking every 30-45 minutes to stop and take a short walk as suggested by the instructions. The final hour in the car I played light classical music and hymns, to combat drowsiness. Then, after getting into the airport, I sat at my gate with noise canceling headphones in and read. I read from the Bible (both Ruth and Luke in their entirety) prior to my plane ride, Parker Palmer, and a novel called “Me Before You” that examines the life of a paralyzed man who wishes to commit doctor assisted suicide. My day of silence was completed exactly 30 minutes prior to landing in Albuquerque, New Mexico for Thanksgiving.