Silence!

With the sun still reluctant to break through December clouds over a sleepy little town far from Amsterdam, and a pall of grey surrounding the serene retreat centre, we sauntered into the dining hall, tiptoeing so as not to disturb the SILENCE

One by one, we glided in, avoiding even glances at each other, lest we break this code of SILENCE—imposed on us by our otherwise gracious host.

As we picked our plates and cutlery, careful not to breach the silence that had descended in the dining hall, the pouring of coffee into glasses and the gentle knock of a knife against brittle eggshells seemed to echo through the narrow corridor forever—until, momentarily, we forgot that we had sworn to eat in SILENCE.

With the sounds of breakfast rituals raising the flag of rebellion against the self-imposed silence, we put our heads down and focused on eating. Emboldened by the power of silence—and with nobody daring to watch—we binged without remorse and filled the SILENCE with calories.

In silence we ate, and in silence we stepped out, heaving a sigh. We have travelled across continents to experience this luxury of SILENCE. With our hearts and minds filled with thoughts that Silence so generously poured into us, we are now ready for the Day.

Shall we now break the SILENCE?