Vocation

Over the course of the past month in quarantine, I’ve found that I’ve been surrounded by silence a lot. My general inclination to fill that silence is through music. Whether it be listening to music through my headphones or sitting down at the piano, I tend to turn to music to internalize my thoughts and add some excitement to my day.

More recently though, I’ve found that talking aloud, rather than just listening, has provided some much needed time to take care of myself. Each day over the past two weeks or so, I’ve taken time to give a call to a family member or friend, catching up and reflecting on the day’s events. No matter how mundane or boring, I feel more centered and relaxed after getting on the phone and reaching out.

I hope to extend this daily practice throughout the remainder of the quarantine and extend a call to those who I haven’t connected with for a long awhile. Today, my family and I called to touch base with Inman Moore, a 90 year old retired minister in California. Though we hadn’t spoken in over five years, it felt so nice to reconnect with an old friend in faith.

I’m starting to realize just how much faith-building relies on talking and conversing, rather than just listening. There has to be reciprocity between the senses.

Taking care of yourself is important, but it sometimes implies that you are alone in that task. The phrase, “talking care,” reminds one to reach out for support and simply talk, extending care to oneself and another.