SOLITUDE

1 : the quality or state of being alone or remote from society : seclusion

I've spent most of this summer with at least one person with me at all times. This was partly by choice: taking July and August off of work meant that I would need to give up childcare for K. A & B still had a few camps, but I was rarely without all three of my daughters. This is normally a recipe for exhaustion for me. I crave a certain amount (ideally, 30 minutes to an hour) and kind (the quieter, the better) of solitude. It's actually been a great summer in spite of the lack of solitude. I have thoroughly enjoyed my daughters and we've had lots of fun together.

That said, I will be ready for August 14 to arrive and school to start. One of the things this signifies to me this year is the return of solitude to my daily routine. I am craving this. One reason I've posted so little to this blog in recent weeks is that I haven't had time to think, much less write. When I have had time to write, I've found that my mind is quiet (empty?) and no words are there, waiting. Most of my blog posts feel more like transcription than writing. I often spend several hours composing the piece in my head, so that when I sit down at the computer, I just type in my thoughts. Obviously, this requires that I think...

I've missed having quiet moments to think and ponder. I feel a bit adrift, having spent so little time in self-reflection. I'm looking forward to studying some of the names of God this fall. I look forward to solitude used contemplating who God is, who I am and what I should do with my life, specifically and more broadly. I find when I spend time pondering these things, I feel more complete. It's almost like I've taken the time to center myself on the pottery wheel, ensuring that I will be whole and symmetrical at the end of the day, instead of off-kilter and unusable.

Hopefully, as you read this post you're alone. If so, take a deep breath and savor it. If not, may you find or make a spare bit of time for some solitude today.