Less than two weeks until Christmas. How are you feeling? Have you felt the magic of the season yet? The depth and the miracles?
Last week, the boys, David, Luna and I drove to the main square of our historic Franklin downtown to see the Christmas tree lighting. We listened to the carols on the car radio and my heart was full.
In the town square, thousands of people (still pretty socially distanced, at least where we were standing) sang “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” and “Silent Night.”
I stopped singing for a while to listen to the others’ voices. It was so cool. The town sang together!
And then a thought hit my heart and tears tickled my nose.
We have to stop talking – or singing – in order to listen and to hear the beauty around us.
That thought triggered an avalanche of memories and in a second I remembered so many moments of silencing the noises in order to hear something magical, divine, important, beautiful…
listening to my grandmother sing Silent Night when I was little
laying under the Christmas tree looking at a postcard of the Nativity scene, imaging Mary singing to the little baby Jesus and almost hearing her voice
my kids sitting up in bed on Christmas Eve shushing me down so they could listen for sleigh bells
buying a silver bell after watching Polar Express and listening to its soft chime on Christmas Eve, smiling because we still believed in miracles
Our world rarely teaches us to listen to the silence. It rarely models listening to others or gives us opportunities to practice listening and silencing down.
How much do we miss because we always just talk, think, and surround ourselves with noise?
Less than two weeks until Christmas. How are you feeling? Have you felt the magic of the season yet? The depth and the miracles?
Last week, the boys, David, Luna and I drove to the main square of our historic Franklin downtown to see the Christmas tree lighting. We listened to the carols on the car radio and my heart was full.
In the town square, thousands of people (still pretty socially distanced, at least where we were standing) sang “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” and “Silent Night.”
I stopped singing for a while to listen to the others’ voices. It was so cool. The town sang together!
And then a thought hit my heart and tears tickled my nose.
We have to stop talking – or singing – in order to listen and to hear the beauty around us.
That thought triggered an avalanche of memories and in a second I remembered so many moments of silencing the noises in order to hear something magical, divine, important, beautiful…
listening to my grandmother sing Silent Night when I was little
laying under the Christmas tree looking at a postcard of the Nativity scene, imaging Mary singing to the little baby Jesus and almost hearing her voice
my kids sitting up in bed on Christmas Eve shushing me down so they could listen for sleigh bells
buying a silver bell after watching Polar Express and listening to its soft chime on Christmas Eve, smiling because we still believed in miracles
Our world rarely teaches us to listen to the silence. It rarely models listening to others or gives us opportunities to practice listening and silencing down.
How much do we miss because we always just talk, think, and surround ourselves with noise?
Last Saturday, I hosted a mini-retreat on how to turn the holiday chaos into a season of love, healing, and comfort. One of the sessions was about practicing listening and getting comfortable with silence.
After a short presentation, I invited the group to close their eyes, take a few breaths, and bring their awareness to the silence within.
Have you ever sat with a group of people in a room in complete silence – where you felt comfortable, safe, and filled with Grace and connection? And you didn’t feel the urge to move, fidget, or say something?
It’s a beautiful experience that can help us become more aware and open. It allows us to recognize the Gifts of grace and divine love.
As it was December 4th, the anniversary of mine and Matthew’s wedding, I stopped by his gravesite after the workshop to sit in silence with our memories.
And to shed some of the hardships and heaviness that parenting without him brings: the kids’ life moments in which they miss him more than words can describe, the pain they feel when they are reminded he won’t see them accomplish things they are proud of – things that he inspired…
As I stopped the car by the Garden of Faith, my radio came on (You know how sometimes that happens? You turn the engine off and the radio comes on inexplicably LOL).
It was as if it was specially cued up for that moment, as Josh Groben sang: “Believe what your heart is saying, hear the melody it’s playing. There’s no time to waste, there’s so much to celebrate.”
I paused, took a breath and got out of the car. Then something ‘told’ me to go get new flowers. I turned around and drove to the little flower shop at the bottom of the hill.
The lady said she only had a few arrangements left. One of them was roses and daisies. It was roses and daisies that I held in my hands as I walked down the aisle on my wedding day.
“I hear you,” I smiled and said silently to Love.
Tears streamed down my cheeks as Love and I sat in silence listening to each other. Afterwards, I felt comforted, strengthened, and ready to celebrate.
Silence is one of the 25 Gifts I write about in my book 25 Gifts for Christmas. It comes on Day 20, for those of you who are receiving the daily reflections 🙂
Silence is what scientists are telling us to visit each day – in meditation or prayer – because the practice of accessing the quieter levels of our mind has tremendous benefits for our physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Silence is what we need in order to listen to God’s presence, and experience a million little miracles during the holiday season and always.
What’s your favorite way to practice accessing silence?
Last Saturday, I hosted a mini-retreat on how to turn the holiday chaos into a season of love, healing, and comfort. One of the sessions was about practicing listening and getting comfortable with silence.
After a short presentation, I invited the group to close their eyes, take a few breaths, and bring their awareness to the silence within.
Have you ever sat with a group of people in a room in complete silence – where you felt comfortable, safe, and filled with Grace and connection? And you didn’t feel the urge to move, fidget, or say something?
It’s a beautiful experience that can help us become more aware and open. It allows us to recognize the Gifts of grace and divine love.
As it was December 4th, the anniversary of mine and Matthew’s wedding, I stopped by his gravesite after the workshop to sit in silence with our memories.
And to shed some of the hardships and heaviness that parenting without him brings: the kids’ life moments in which they miss him more than words can describe, the pain they feel when they are reminded he won’t see them accomplish things they are proud of – things that he inspired…
As I stopped the car by the Garden of Faith, my radio came on (You know how sometimes that happens? You turn the engine off and the radio comes on inexplicably LOL).
It was as if it was specially cued up for that moment, as Josh Groben sang: “Believe what your heart is saying, hear the melody it’s playing. There’s no time to waste, there’s so much to celebrate.”
I paused, took a breath and got out of the car. Then something ‘told’ me to go get new flowers. I turned around and drove to the little flower shop at the bottom of the hill.
The lady said she only had a few arrangements left. One of them was roses and daisies. It was roses and daisies that I held in my hands as I walked down the aisle on my wedding day.
“I hear you,” I smiled and said silently to Love.
Tears streamed down my cheeks as Love and I sat in silence listening to each other. Afterwards, I felt comforted, strengthened, and ready to celebrate.
Silence is one of the 25 Gifts I write about in my book 25 Gifts for Christmas. It comes on Day 20, for those of you who are receiving the daily reflections 🙂
Silence is what scientists are telling us to visit each day – in meditation or prayer – because the practice of accessing the quieter levels of our mind has tremendous benefits for our physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Silence is what we need in order to listen to God’s presence, and experience a million little miracles during the holiday season and always.
What’s your favorite way to practice accessing silence?
Music
Here is a song I heard on our way to the Christmas tree lighting. And I can’t believe I have never heard it before. Apparently lots of artists covered it, but my favorite is Dolly Parton’s:
Here is a song I heard on our way to the Christmas tree lighting. And I can’t believe I have never heard it before. Apparently lots of artists covered it, but my favorite is Dolly Parton’s:
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AND live your dream life.
Get weekly emails, exclusive content. special offers and
event updates directly to your inbox.