The oaks of 1910 were now ten years old and taller than either of us. It was such an impressive sight that I was struck dumb, and, as he never spoke, we spent the whole day in silence walking through his forest. When I reminded myself that all this was the work of the hand and soul of this one man, with no mechanical help, it seemed to me that after all we might be as effective as God in tasks other than destruction.
One day I stood quietly gazing through our sliding glass doors... It was a windless day and without thinking, I found myself slipping into a silent world.Then, something overcame me.Whereas silence had been a visitor, a friend with whom I communed when I chose, now silence slipped into the core of my being.Without my knowing, without even my conscious consent, silence entered me.
~ from SILENCE: Making the Journey to Inner Quiet by Barbara Erakko Taylor