Silence

The wind was howling outside in the cold night as icy pellets of rain assaulted the window panes. In the warmth of the living room, the logs crackled and sizzled in the fireplace, while the glow of the flames danced throughout the darkness of the room. The glasses of wine had been set on the table alongside some chocolates, and music was playing softly in the other room. We had been missing each other and were longing for some time alone to reconnect after the recent stressful weeks. Things had been strained between us lately, and both of us were hoping that this session of quiet togetherness would help to rejuvenate our spirits.

Motioning for me to stretch out on the sofa, he took my foot in his hands and proceeded with a massage. The weight of my body melted in to the sofa as the warmth of his hands caressed my toes and spread throughout my exhausted body. Tears welled up in my eyes and suddenly I was overwhelmed with sadness, happiness, relief, joy. Oh, how I had missed this!! We would be ok, we've just been through a rough time, I reasoned with myself, swallowing the tears.

With the wall of tension soothed away, we proceeded to sip our drinks, pausing to gaze at the fire or nibble away at the chocolates. Sitting silently beside each other, we somehow managed to find our way back to the couple we were weeks ago. I'm not quite sure where we had gone to, or how we had even got there. Somehow, we knew the other was there the entire time, each one waiting for the other to emerge from under our own dark clouds.

Silence really is golden. It helps us express what words cannot. It helps us to hear the sounds of others we miss when we are too absorbed in our own worries. Silence has shouted to me when I needed to be still and listen to my life, or to pay attention and reach out to others. And silence whispers of encouragement, just when it's needed most.