It’s interesting to me that so many adults long for quiet, but yet we often yell at our kids or students to be quiet? Why is that? In Spanish teachers yell, hagan silencio! Literally means, make silence! And it works for a moment, but usually out of fear. It’s may be silent, but it’s not quiet.

Maybe because quiet can’t be forced. It just happens. And you have to drink it in like a breath of fresh air.

Like this afternoon, not far from me there are buses honking their horns, a few minutes ago I had three different people calling, while trying to finish up a skype call.

But then it snuck up rather quickly.

This November afternoon, there is a little quiet. I am looking out my window, the dog is curled up my feet, the screen door is open and I can hear the wind chimes from a neighbors patio. A few kids laugh and run through the street. But they’re not mine, so the sound is distant, far off and refreshing.

For me quiet is not necessarily synonymous with no noise, but more so, with stillness.

And this I think sometimes in the come-and-go of everyday life and and work, and errands, and the ringing and beeping of phone calls and texts messages, quiet comes in small batches. In still moments like this afternoon.

How do you define quiet in your life?

*it’s been awhile since I’ve linked up with Lisa-Jo Baker and the #FiveMinuteFriday Community. But in my effort to write every day this month, a 5-min prompt on a busy Friday afternoon was perfect. Plus she featured my and my friend, Carrie’s story today on her blog*

Check it out and link up next month! Happy Friday.

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