Silence

Sitting here listening to the cars go by, hearing the chirping of birds, and the ticking of the clock, reminds me that I am  home. The clock ticks on and trucks rumble down Grace Street. It may sound quite noisy, but there is a silence about it. No one is up yet. No pitter patter of feet or coffee brewing. No creaking of old doors and wooden floors. No laughter or yawns. Only silence, my kind of silence.

I woke up quite early, before the Sun began to shine. I had to take advantage of this day. This day full of promise, with a chill in the air on July 2nd. Who would have thought...a chill in the air? It seems that when I come back home in July, I get the best weather. There is a chill in the air that invites me to take advantage of an early morning walk to breathe in Southern Ohio. A time to gather my thoughts as I become captivated by its beauty. The rolling hills are adorned by lush green trees and shrubbery. I love to take in, if only for just a short time.

Being here brings me back years, when life was simple. Brings me back to promise and my youth, when the world was an inviting place to explore. Explore it I have, but now I yearn for solitude, a place to sit and rest.  And now I have become  more enamored with the small town atmosphere, conversations of yesteryear, laughter in the air, and simplicity, sweet simplicity. Here I can calm my heart and soul and breathe in contemplation. I can get away from the ridiculous rat race and traffic--my life always in a rush, rush, rush. Here I slow my pace to reconnect, rejuvenate, and return to family...return to me.

The peace that I feel, wrought with intermittent cars passing, birds chirping, and  clocks ticking soothe my aching soul. This is just what I need. My shelter from the storm... my mountaintop...my oasis...my home-- Southern Ohio.