January 11, 2011- Reflection...

     Some days are better filled with quiet reflection than with too many words. When my boyfriend and I traveled to Bali, Indonesia for a yoga retreat a couple of years ago, there was one day when they challenged us with silence. We could write, drawn, mentally reflect, and of course, we had our yoga and meditation sessions along with a massage or two already lined up, but our meals were served to us separately and very much alone. I did spend some of the time writing and drawing, but mostly I remember feeling frustrated because I couldn’t express myself verbally when I wanted to.  If you know me at all, you can probably imagine how difficult it was for me to stay silent for an entire 24 hours.  I wish I was better at it...Listening is a skill I have yet to fully master. Reflecting is one I have been working on, particularly through this blog, but meditation and true silent periods in my life are rare and very challenging to come by. But some days, it is necessary, to give us time to process, to sort out emotions, and to adjust to new challenges or difficulties life presents us.  Today was one of those days for me. I needed a moment or two of true silence, and it was, as usual, hard to come by at work and at home with the kids.  So, you do what you need to do and push through...I will have time for silence tomorrow night, when the boys are not with me, when I am all alone in my home again, time to reflect, renew, and put life back in perspective in the midst of current challenges and circumstances.