To My Children: Sometimes it’s Ok to be Called to the Quiet

To My Children:

This world is big. It’s loud and busy and full of demands. There are causes and needs and hopes and dreams. There are things that, for good or bad, will use up your drive, passion and skill. There will be times that you will need to fight and battle for truth, and other times that will make you cry in hopelessness because you don’t know how to help. You will be bombarded with pleas to do more, be more, act more, want more and accomplish more.

All of this will happen on a daily, oftentimes hourly, basis. Because you care, you’ll want to be the one who does something.

Sometimes, though, sometimes you’ll be called to the quiet. And that’s ok.

Your role won’t be on the front lines, but in the back, holding the fort.

You’ll be the one maintaining the quiet so others can rest in it when they’re ready.

You’ll do your thing, day by day, quiet moment by quiet moment. You’ll tend the home or plant the gardens. You’ll fix the cars or wash the clothes. You’ll rock the babies, teach the kids and kiss the boo-boos. You’ll play in the back yard, bring soup to a sick friend and write your grocery list. And that’s ok.

You’ll have dinner with friends, deepen your relationships and watch out for neighbors. You’ll walk the dog, listen to music and do the laundry. You’ll pay your bills, take the cat to the vet and chat with your sister. You won’t have an opinion on every subject, but you’ll know about the things that mean the most to you. And that’s ok, too.

It’s ok to be called to the quiet. It’s ok to not do something all the time. It’s ok to not know every answer or even every problem. It’s ok to focus on what you’ve been given right now and not worry about things that you haven’t been given yet.

It’s ok to be quiet today so you can be passionate tomorrow.