Do you ever spend any time alone? Do you enjoy being by yourself? Can you welcome the silence around you sometimes or do you always feel the need to fill it?
I have been enjoying the fall colors in the Adirondacks of upstate New York. It is the peak of the season and though I’ve been here many times before, this trip is different in several ways. For one thing I am with my husband, a man who enjoys having outdoor adventures as much as me, and for another, I have a kayak. Both make a remarkable difference.
Most days we have gone kayaking together, exploring the many lakes and ponds this wilderness park has to offer. It is wonderful having someone to share the moments with–as they happen, not at a later date or time.
But on a few occasions I have gone out alone, with only the call of the loons and the sound of the wind to keep me company. I love this! To me it is restorative and peaceful and infinitely joyful. There is something about being alone, surrounded by wilderness that just feels good, that just makes my heart happy and my soul sing. Our society seems to link being alone with loneliness but I don’t think that is true at all. Loneliness is the pain of being alone, solitude is the joy of being alone.
Have you experienced this? Do you enjoy your own company?
Here is this week’s quote, a wonderful one from Alice Koller who says:
“Being solitary is being alone well; Being alone luxuriously immersed in doings of your own choice, aware of the fullness of your own presence rather than the absence of others.”
What do you think?
It couldn’t have been better said! I love times of solitude, especially when I am out in nature. Thanks for the post!
You are welcome!! Thanks for taking the time to comment.