The Sound of Silence

A friend of mine has been encouraging me to do a silent retreat with her this winter.

It's not an overnight gig.  It's more like three days.  And well, since it takes place over the weekend, it may be doable with my family.

I've often fantasized about being completely alone.  I mean really....no children screaming, no demands shouting in my head, no dishwasher, computer, phone, washing machine, oven, coffee maker, car...just me alone.

And then, I start to really think about it.  Could I be completely quiet with myself for 72 hours?  Could I give my mind, heart and soul three days of solitude?

It seems like a dream...and then, it seems a bit nightmarish...for example, what if I start really delving into parts of me that feel easier to push under the rug?  What if I feel isolated...in need of the social?  What if I miss the tar out of my family or worse off, what if I love it, and I don't?

It's crazy to me that in a 24-hour period, I am rarely alone.  Alone maybe in thought, but rarely in the physical.  A silent retreat is definitely food for thought.  It may be just what the doctor ordered in the new year.