Peace & Quiet: The Importance of Rest in a Loud World
Jun 13, 2023
In 2012, my family took a road trip to Yellowstone National Park, stopping at whatever we found interesting or beautiful. After a brief pause on a dirt road to watch a mama bear and cub bounding into the woods, we parked and walked down to a meadow. It was a moment I will never forget, and words will never do it justice. The sky was free of clouds, and the breeze was just enough to tickle the hairs on my arms and brush wisps of hair off my face.
I walked over to the creek that rushed between myself and a herd of bison and their calves. Peeling off my shoes and socks, I sat upon the bank and dipped my feet into the cool water. To say that the moment felt perfect and holy would be an understatement. I was content beyond words. Over the next thirty minutes, I did not utter a word, as I wanted to soak in every sensation, memorizing that place so I could return whenever I needed to in the future.
When we find moments of shalom, I consider them to be a view of what Heaven will feel like. The renewal it gave my weary spirit was indescribable. Speaking in that moment would have lessened the impact. We each need quiet places in our souls we can retreat to. Places that are not full of expectations and responsibilities but just silence that replenishes and restores. Children must be given moments where they are able to simply rest. We model the power of intentional pause to them and ourselves. Try watching water, fire, or the face of a newborn child. Wind dancing through the trees or the majesty in a bird hatching out of an egg.
Fred Rogers gave us the tools to be lifelong learners—
a sense of wonder,
a curiosity about the world around us,
the willingness to ask questions.
His genuine interest in the world was infectious. Whatever he showed us, he encouraged us to look and listen carefully, to keep trying, and to see the world as a wondrous place.
Fred Rogers believed that although children’s “outsides” may have changed a lot, their inner needs have remained very much the same. They still need to fall in love with the beauty of being alive and savor being part of the interconnectedness of all people.
Excerpt from: Waiting for Mister Rogers: Teaching with Attachment, Attunement, and Intention
