In the past, I often wanted to talk things through until I felt there was a resolution.

But the truth is… often things cannot be resolved within one conversation or within a given time frame.

I always thought that silence was a sign that someone didn’t care enough about me to “battle” it  through.

I felt that silence was a sign that my feelings and thoughts were not worth talking about.

It seemed a punishment, a way to stonewall.

Today I know that silence is often the best choice when a situation is heated, or dismaying, and that time, and space often does bring a calmer conversation.

I have learned that when I hold my tongue, and wait, that often problems that seemed so looming and large are answered by just being quiet and letting things be.

If I catch myself trying to explain, trying to reason, trying to make a point, and yet not being understood… maybe it is time to take a step back, be silent, and allow the conversation to cool before approaching the topic again.

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“Dear God, help me to remain calm. Help me to use silence to soothe a troubled moment instead of using words to fan the fire.”