It was my husband’s birthday a few days ago, and we were wondering how we could celebrate as a family. Obviously, amidst these weird, pandemic-induced times there weren’t really too many festive options, so we went for a picnic by the pond very close to our house.
We placed some folding chairs out, spread a mat next to the stream that flows into the pond, and had a delicious dinner we picked up from a Greek restaurant nearby.
At some point, after we finished eating, I asked everyone for 60 seconds of silence. It’s not that they were being loud or anything. Being older, my kids don’t get inadvertently noisy like young ones might… But their mom is into all that “mindfulness” stuff, so usually they have to cooperate in some way. ;)
The initial reaction I got from my three teenagers was one of surprised stares, the word “seriously??” written all over their faces.
But I wouldn’t give up so easily, despite their blatant opposition. Their next one or two reactions were not really getting us anywhere… And maybe not the forth one after that... That’s when I began to time the silence.
My teenagers were just not having it. My husband, on the other hand, seemed very amused by this funny experiment. Every time they started talking during my 60-second count, I just started counting again. Finally, worn down by my sheer force of will, they realized that they could spare 60 seconds of their lives
for this seemingly futile battle to be over with.
When we finally got through our 60 seconds of silence, the first thing I realized was how much was going on around us that we hadn’t noticed before.
Our minds are used to shutting out background sounds when they are focused on activities such as talking, and definitely when engaged with our phones.
During our silence, we found that right next to us there were birds in one tree chit-chatting with birds in another. That the wind was rattling the leaves of the trees, making such a harmonious fluttering sound. That the gentle motion of the water sweeping over the rocks in the stream could be heard from our place on the grass. And that those quaint sounds we had ignored since our arrival were actually coming from a paddling of ducks. Far less tranquil, we spotted a deer running through the park, which for some reason decided to bound straight into the water, and then regretted it...
All this was going on as I tried to reach a full 60-second count silence.
In those precious few moments of muteness, we were able to appreciate the sounds of nature and all the life that was happening around us. This little space in time was so dear, even if it was correspondingly short.
My husband was still quietly smiling, and I could sense that calm feeling spreading. Hopefully my teenagers felt it too, even if they wouldn’t ever admit it.
But something always sinks in. All you need is a few moments’ break from your regular habits.
Maybe my kids will do this with their kids when they grow up. I really hope so. In any case, I’m pretty positive I’ll be doing this with them. :)