Sometimes we don't realize how noisy our world is until we escape to a place of quiet. The Desert Mothers and Fathers believed that silence and quiet prevents us from being suffocated by our wordy and noisy world. They believed that there is more to silence than not speaking; it is more than the absence of sound. It is that space we create within, that portable cell, of rest and peace that can stay with us wherever we go. Madeleine L'Engle wrote a book called A Circle of Quiet in which she described how every so often she needed out—away from all those people she loved most in the world in order to regain a sense of proportion. Her special place was a small brook in a green glade, a circle of quiet: “I go to the brook because I get out of being, out of the essential. If I sit for awhile, then my impatience, crossness, frustration, are indeed annihilated, and my sense of humor returns.”
Here on the campus we searched a long time for that circle of quiet, that place to gather thoughts and create that space to help us regain perspective. thanks to the inspiration and persistence of some of our residents, we created such a space but it remains yet undiscovered by many. Irene Cool has helped shepherd the creation of our Quiet Place and I share with you her invitation to visit it.
“Come to the Quiet, Bring Thoughts That You Gather. This is our Quiet Place at the east-side front of the Life Center and across from Ms. Kimberly's office. It is there for you and me and all others to go to be still, away and alone or with another. It is there for us to pray, say or simply listen. Our room is there for us to rejoice, to sing, to weep but mostly to just be somewhere and away…from noise, from chatter…a free place to speculate or fret. Fragrance fills the silence and helps to call on memories and allows our imaginations of happy times and remembrances of comforting places. Soft aromas can calm, purify our souls and heal our bodies.
The fountain of running water, a gentle mantra, assures us of the power of life…a continuum. A great purifier calms our anxieties. Candles may be seen as a focal point for silence and we can increase our focus and concentration by simple candle gazing…to be mesmerized. The Himalayan salt lamp gives off a soft pink light which brings again the peace of the room to the soul. So all of you who live here, caregivers and others…when you will sometime want a minute to rest…come to the quiet and find your peace.”
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