Ponderable Quote- Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

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And Silence, like a poultice, comes to heal the blows of sound.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.


I ran across this powerful quote recently in an article on meditation, and I’ve been turning it over in my head ever since.

According to the American Heritage Dictionary, a poultice is a heated adhesive substance spread on a cloth and applied to an aching or inflamed part of the body. Think of that,- silence is a warm relaxing remedy for “the blows of sound.” Right now those blows come at us in the form of constant news updates and press coverage, discontent, fear, and restlessness shared between friends and colleagues, or just mounting personal fall-out from stay-at-home mandates. All of it calling for our attention.  It can weigh heavy.

But, whether you are aching and weary over burdens or just inflamed with anger over having to face current challenges. applying the warmth of silence to our thinking brings relief. That refocusing can begin the process of healing our psyche so we can move on to handle what comes our way with grace and confidence.

In general, we aren’t accustomed to silence anymore. The isolation that comes with social distancing may even be giving us more silence than we know how to handle. So we leave the television on to talk at us or stay constantly connected through personal devices. Oliver Wendell Holmes seemed to feel silence is a welcomed gift to be embraced and savored. I’m inclined to agree.


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