Serenity

For a while now I’ve cultivated a habit of getting up early and starting meditation and prayer at 5am. The thing that’s most profound at this time of day is the quietness, there’s simply no sound at all for up to 30 minutes sometimes until a car goes past somewhere in the distance. And it’s not just the silence that is so captivating to me but the stillness too - there’s no movement in the environment either, no cars or planes or people. It’s just like life is suspended. The experience of this silence and stillness sets me up for the whole day; it’s the foundation upon which the rest of the day stands. I was reflecting recently that I could give up anything else in life but not this serenity, it has untold value for me.