“Our whole life is solving puzzles.” ~Erno Rubik
I’m just back from the chaos my extended family endures in the name of vacation for the sake of connection, enjoying fine food, fun and extended beautiful weather the likes of which we’ve never seen before.
Among other things, one thing we do at the cottage en masse is put together puzzles; there is a huge selection of them collected over 50 years, and a huge number of us.
It’s usually a quiet endeavor, people putting in pieces in silence as they come and go.
And it’s always a collaborative effort, though not everyone enjoys sitting still long enough, or being quiet long enough, to participate.
It seems vacations can get pretty darn busy with the kids, the meals, the chores. Attention drawn away from the purpose of the journey: to relax, slow down, observe, learn and connect.
There is a plaque on my wall—white font on black background—that reads “LISTEN & SILENT” in capital block letters. Underneath, in smaller print: “have the same letters.” And finally, under that line, “Coincidence?”
I am beguiled by anagrams, and don’t believe in coincidences.
To reveal the complete picture, to put puzzle pieces together in a cogent form, to “connect-the-dots”, the human organism requires silence. For those courageous enough to ask, answers to deeper questions can be found there.
Only then are we able to listen. Only then can we hear ourselves. Or the people we live and work with.
If you’re planning your holiday as summer winds down, plan some silence, too.
Take a walk by yourself, or a boat ride, or a swim. Ask questions: it’s good for the spirit as well as the body.
There’s peace to be found in putting puzzle pieces in place.
“Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself, and know that everything in life has purpose. There are no mistakes, no coincidences, all events are blessings given to us to learn from.” ~Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
