It is in solitude that we discover that being is more important than having and that we are worth more than the results of our efforts. In solitude we discover that our life is not a possession to be defended but a gift to be shared.
Henri Nouwen
Today, I’m joining in with a group of writers for Five Minute Friday. We’re given a prompt (this week it’s VACATION) and write about it for five minutes. The “official” rules say no editing; it’s not in me to not edit, so I do a light one before posting.
I’ve written in this space recently about the LLF (Long Lost Family) vacation we took recently—arguably the best away-from-home vacation I’ve ever had. Now, I’m looking forward to some pockets of SAS vacation days throughout the summer. SAS: Solitude and Silence.
A few times every summer, Gerry loads his backpacking or fishing gear into the car and heads out to do something that he enjoys and that feeds his soul. I kiss him goodbye, close the door behind him, and enter into a time of silence and solitude that feeds mine.
These times are necessary for my mental and spiritual health. They are sacred to me. The silent days, when the cacophony of the world does not clamour for my attention, create space in which those empty places within me are filled. In solitude and silence I find inspiration and truth; there I hear the voice of the Divine.
I set clear and firm boundaries around these days, knowing how easy it would be to allow them to be filled. In some seasons they are busy—as in August when I’m canning. Other times they are slow, more intentional, and I settle in with the companionship of a manuscript and words.
I come out of solitude with priceless gifts: nuggets of wisdom, new insight, and a clearer sense of Divine love. Peace. Strength. The capacity to carry on. Things that will remain with me until the next SAS vacation time comes around.
(Full disclosure: I’ll sacrifice some SAS vacation time later this month for the gift of another sort of vacation. GT: girl time with my granddaughter and daughter.)
