Moments of silence

Have you ever tried to take a moment just to be silent?  Really tried to hear what was going on in the world around you?  It's amazing how loud things can seem when we turn off our own vocal cords.

I stretched out on the deck this afternoon.  The sun felt wonderful, very warm on a cool day.  So many things heard while being silent, things to be thankful for.  Things like:

• sounds of at least 4 different birds
• train whistles
• breeze through the trees
• a dog scratching to come out on the deck with me
• emergency vehicles in the distance
• delivery trucks

Ultimately the silence was broken by a young boy joining me.  We were silent together, for a short bit, anyway, until hunger pangs drove us back inside.  Even this evening, the silence on my part has enjoyable.  Just taking time to here "the heartbeat of the house".  There has been:

• younger child cleaning up for scouts
• older moving about his room with squeaky floors
• cleaner child, singing what ever comes time mind ~ a cross between "Fiddler on the Roof" and Christmas Choir songs
• one dog going to town on her dog food

Why does this make me thankful or joyful?  A few things come to mind:

• there are people out there to help the sick and injured
• my health is good enough to be able to hear
• we have things, in our possession, to bring comfort (food, shelter, dog)
• happy and content children

Sunset, trees, & snow!

Our back yard one winter!