There’s been a hushed reverence in these parts for the past couple of weeks. Entirely intentional, it’s my way of dealing with loss. Seeking out spaces of quiet and stillness, I find solace in these pockets of silence. When I began this blog two decades ago, it was originally designed to be a place of calm and peace. Even back then I was searching for some sort of escape from the cacophony of noise and distraction that the internet has mostly always been.
Now with real life stepping in and pausing things here, I’m reminded of that original intention, and I find comfort in the relative peace of a reduced writing schedule – and no real schedule at all. An unexpected and surprisingly-valued summer break.
On office days downtown, I slip into St. Mary’s church on my lunch break, to sit in the cool air and dim light – the hushed reverence is there in the middle of the day. In the last pew, I kneel and bring my hands together. I don’t always pray. Sometimes I do, but mostly I bow my head and try to commune silently with my Dad. My mind travels back to Sunday mornings when our family would sit together at mass, going through the motions, intoning our prayers and responses, not quite believing it and not quite disbelieving it. Dad was quiet about his faith, and it was clear he would have been just as happy staying home on those Sunday mornings, so I never quite got an accurate read on what he might have believed. It remains a mystery, and I’m ok with it staying so. A person’s faith is something intensely private, and fathers are often the most private people of all.
