Silence is both friend and foe.

I long for it, and push it away. I relish and despise it.

Silence evokes such a vast cacophony of emotions:

.. the welcome silence when the kids are finally tucked into bed after a rambunctious day;

.. the comfortable silence on a long stretch of road, driver and passenger each lost and content in his own thoughts;

.. the unbridled silence of awe and wonder when taking in the sprawling grandeur of creation.

There’s the frustrating, lingering silence that seems to never end while waiting impatiently upon the Lord;

.. the anguishing silence that follows an offense — an icy and effective punishment;

.. the telling silence when the hesitation lasts just a millisecond too long;

.. the peaceful silence of just stopping to listen;

.. the painful silence when one remains behind.

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Silence is calming and inflaming;

soothing and seething;

restful and infuriating.

It is insisted and resisted;

welcomed and rejected

.. for silence is both friend and foe.

This is Day 24 of 31 Days of Five Minute Free Writes, a series in which each post has been written in five minutes or less. For more posts in this collection, click here.