As with many proverbs, the origin of this phrase is obscured by the mists of time. There are reports of versions of it dating back to Ancient Egypt. The first example of it in English is from the poet Thomas Carlyle, continue reading about it here . What's so funny, to me, is that Carlyle wrote a lengthy essay on the virtues of silence. Anyone else catch the irony in that? 😏 Anyway. The intended meaning of the phrase, then and now, is that sometimes the best "answer" or "response" is silence.

Blah Blah Blah Day So this day is supposed to be about not putting off procrastination but I can't go there when all I think is literal "blah blah blah".   Bat Appreciation Day Bats (shudder) Types of Bats Conserving the world's bats and their ecosystems to ensure a healthy planet Nothing Like a Dame Day Just Google it.  I did and didn't get much information. Day of Silence Day Bullying is not okay, no matter what.  The History of Day of Silence There are several organizations dedicated to ending all forms of bullying.  For those of you who live my hometown check out this org . For the rest of you Google it for your area, I am positive there will be at least one! DNA Day What is DNA? Using DNA to solve crimes Haiku Poetry Day The Haiku Famous Haiku from the Masters How to Write a Haiku Ford Mustang Day The Ford Mustang Story 1964 Ford Mustang 2015 Ford Mustang National Cheeseball Day 23 Mos...

A lot of people aren't grateful for silence.  It makes them squirm, it makes them feel unsettled, it unnerves them.  Why is that?  I think it is because we have filled our days, and nights, with so much noise from so many devices and other things that we don't even know what silence is any longer or what to do with it.  But I am grateful for silence.  I am grateful that sometimes I sit in my house and literally the only sound I hear is the faint ticking of our clock or the wind blowing outside.  That's about as close to silence as I'm going to get. But I'm grateful for it because my days are too noisy.  In fact a while back, on the previous 365, I ruminated about silence.  Click here to read that.  I read it and noted that not much has changed in my thoughts about silence since I wrote that.  I still crave it and when it presents itself I am profoundly grateful for it, as is my soul.

Silence is more eloquent than words.   Thomas Carlyle It would be a mistake to not acknowledge the tragedy that has befallen our nation in the past 24 hours.  Unspeakable evil has occurred and precious lives, young and older, have been taken.  Put into motion is a grief that will last years for the families directly involved and impacted.  Put into motion is a fear that has settled into the minds and hearts of those who witnessed this atrocious act.  A community has been shaken by a devastating event and nothing will ever really be the same.  I would venture to say every parent is heartbroken and every human touched by this unspeakable evil. The responses of those who aren't directly impacted but yet touched have been interesting.  Many have taken up their own personal battle cry for their particular views on gun control and God.  Those are the two topics getting the most talk from this tragedy.  I have allowed *you* y...

Shame erases hope.   Unknown We are held captive and in an unseen bondage when we allow shame to speak over and into our lives.  Shame is made of a "material" that is hard to break.  And when we apply it to ourselves or to others we are placing a sentence on us or them.  Shame keeps the poverty stricken in poverty, even if their material wealth rebounds.  Shame keeps the abused in victim mode, even if healing has presented itself.  Shame keeps the insecure timid, even if strength has been demonstrated   Shame keeps the young girl with babies from her family, even if they have reached out.  Shame keeps *you* silent, even when it is right that you speak.  Shame keeps *you* believing the lies, even when the truth is so evident.  Hope is the freedom and shame is the bondage.  To choose freedom is to choose hope and we are the only ones who can choose it for ourselves.  Other people may try to hand us hope,...

I've begun to realize that you can listen to silence and learn from it. It has a quality and a dimension all its own.   Chaim Potok Silence.  If you find yourself scratching your head in confusion and wondering what it is then today's quote is for you.  Just to refresh your memory a bit...silence is that thing that happens when the TV is off, the computer isn't on, the phones are off, no appliances are running and you feel like without all of those things (and whatever else causes noise in your world) there is a big empty space with no noise.  That, my friends, is silence.  Silence is funny  because  it is one of those things that makes people super uncomfortable.  They squirm, they are agitated, they can't sit still, basically they can't handle it.  So slowly the noise comes back.  The radio is turned on (just on low so I have some sort of background music for my silence.  Um...) and then the phone is turned back on (just to vibr...

Silence is often misinterpreted, but never misquoted.   Unknown Be quiet.  :)  Recognize when you don't need to speak and it's a lot more often than you might realize.  You really don't need to defend every thought, argument, action, belief, platform, etc.  Really you don't.  We don't know how to be quiet.  And it gets us in trouble more than we'd like.  Just be quiet.  Lose your need to defend, be right, etc.  Swallow your words and  acknowledge  that it's okay to have a different point of view than others.  If you stay quiet you'll save yourself a lot of  unnecessary  conversations and free yourself up to have ones that matter.