By ALICIA WOODWARD, guest columnist
Our end of the lake is frozen in suspended stillness. Birds and snowflakes flutter to the ground without a sound. A deer and her fawn pause, motionless, by the edge of the woods. Fir trees sway to the silent tune of a gentle wind. A red fox tiptoes down a frosty hill.
I wish I could encase the hushed winter scene in the round glass of a snowglobe to gaze upon when the lake transforms into a carnival of summer activity.
American author Florence Page Jaques must have understood when she wrote, “I love the deep silence of the midwinter woods. It is a stillness you can rest your whole weight against. This stillness is so profound you are sure it will hold and last.”
I’ve always craved the sound of silence. Growing up, I was blessed with two spirited younger sisters. On inescapable car rides, I longed to stare out the window and daydream while they laughed uproariously, sang off-key and told grueling jokes. I’d wail, “Mom, make them stop!” (Happily, the situation is no different now, though my tolerance has improved.)
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]In exchange for getting to read stories and poetry all day, I spent most of my adult life in a small, square classroom with a daily charge of more than 100 boisterous adolescents. Months after I retired from teaching, I still found myself habitually “shushing” absolutely no one.
My own children were not particularly loud or rambunctious, but my daughter was born belting show tunes. Our home sounded like a never-ending rehearsal for the Tony Awards. Her more reserved younger brother often echoed a familiar refrain, “Mom, make her stop!”
My husband and I now live on a lake in the woods where there are few full-time residents. Only one other home on our cove is occupied at this time of year. Throughout winter, smoke curls out our neighbor’s chimney as a comforting and cozy sign of life.
Each season has something to teach us, and I always enjoy winter’s lesson on the beauty of silence.
Here are 10 ways we can follow winter’s lead to bring a little more peace and quiet to our days:
1. Speak with a softer volume and tone of voice.
2. Avoid complaining, gossiping, criticizing, babbling, arguing and opining.
3. Turn off the television and other noise in your home.
4. Ride in the car without music or news.
5. Take a break from social media.
6. Pray or meditate in silence.
7. Engage in a quiet activity like a puzzle or game.
8. Stop being so busy.
9. Encourage children to enjoy quiet time.
10. Observe and learn from winter’s sound of silence.
Alicia Woodward and her husband are empty-nesters who live on Sweetwater Lake in Brown County. She taught middle school literature and language arts for more than 25 years and writes a weekly blog, The Simple Swan, inspired by the wisdom, beauty and simplicity of nature. Subscribe at thesimpleswan.com. She can be reached at [email protected].
