SILENCE (followed by laughter!): Five Minute Friday

It’s time for another Five Minute Friday—writing for five minutes from a single word-prompt.

 

 

START

 

Those rare moments when every sound stops and life envelops.

 

The motionless standing over a sleeping child’s bed—watching, dreaming, grateful.

 

The beauty of a snow-covered field at dawn before the world awakes—glistening.

 

The quiet tears falling down the face at the graveside—missing, lonely, grieving.

 

The peace that comes from saying, “Here I am Lord. Use me as you will.”

 

But sometimes . . .  Sometimes silence is the precursor to hilarity.

It’s the pregnant pause moment when your mind says, “Did I just hear what I think I heard?”

 

That happened this week. Three times.

 

STOP

 

Overheard in a Colorado parking lot lit by a gorgeous harvest moon

Young man: Look at the earth! It looks like it’s on fire!

Young woman: The earth? Where do you think we live, you idiot. That’s Mars.

 

Silence

 

Landed in Chicago.

Exiting the airplane ahead of me, the spunky elderly woman says to the pilot, “Thanks for the safe flight. . . . I’m glad it wasn’t your time to go.”

 

Silence. WOW. Laughter by all.

 

Nearing the bottom of the escalator in the Knoxville airport

A young girl in the family ahead turns around and starts back up the stairs; her parents call her back. I thought she’d forgotten something, but apparently she was just “being herself”. I smiled at her parents (memories of a once-young daughter coming to mind) and then we parted ways, the little girl taking her time as little girls often do. Several yards apart, I heard her father laugh and say, “That lady said you can go home with her.”

 

Silence. Laughter. Young parent memories coming to mind again . . .

 

What came to mind today when you heard the word “silence”?

Comments

  1. Hi Susan, you described all facets of silence with accompanying feelings so well. For someone who writes on heavy topics, I very much appreciated you sharing the chuckles at the end. Have a blessed weekend. Julie, visiting from FMF

  2. Susan, thank you for the chuckles! #14FMF

  3. Silence can be a heavy topic so thanks for highlighting the lighter side of it too. I enjoyed the stories!

  4. I enjoyed your perspective on silence. 🙂 Made me smile. Thanks!