Solitude

What do I really love on a spiritual and natural level about Xmas day and Boxing day? I love the fact that there are hardly any cars on the road. I love the fact that the world sounds quiet and serene. I love the stillness in the air. There is a real sense of what the world is about and our place in the universe.
Last night, as my son and I walked down our street after we'd visited my family for Xmas day, I stopped with him for a few minutes and asked him to listen to how quiet the 'night' was. He stood there with me, listening intently to the silence that was around us; no car noises, no industrial sounds, no voices, no music, no mobile phones ringing, no sounds of people walking. Pure silence. Beautiful, peaceful and poetical.
It really amazes me that people in power don't see the importance of silence to us, as human beings and indeed, to the animal world. There's something so sacred about the sound of silence. There's a real need for us to have peace and quiet at times. It's so good for the soul. Luckily, I try and recreate this silence fairly regularly, either by wondering off into the countryside at times, to find this silence and serenity, or by doing meditation. I haven't meditated in a good while but I really feel this should be a New Year aim. I may also head out of the city whilst I'm on holiday from work and appreciate silence again and indeed nature, before I venture back to work...
May you find solace, in this calm day out there.