In the place of solitude that rests at our very core, there is always an answer, an explanation of what meaning we have given it, and how we can move on from it. There is also joy, beauty, love and peace. The challenge is being able to find the time to go there. That requires carving out space in each and every day to be alone, whether indoors or in nature, which is a non-negotiable, written-in-stone time for yourself. It is as important as brushing your teeth and saying your prayers. It may be in the morning when you can set the tone for your day and look at what is on your to-do list, or it can be at the end of the day when you close the door on the rest of the world and settle in to review and renew.
However you do it, always enter into it with a healthy dose of self-love and gratitude. Treat that time alone as you would if you had received a precious gift from your closest and best friend, because, you have.
Today my gift of solitude is to fill that tiny teapot with my favorite Earl Grey blend topped off with a thin slice of lemon and an almond cookie shaped like a windmill. I will sit by the window, sipping my tea, listening to the pair of blue jays that have taken to playing chase in the early afternoons in the tree next door, and process my day so far. Perhaps they are trying to tell me something about allowing for more play in my life. Or, perhaps they are telling me something about my relationship with someone close to me. I won’t know which it is until I settle into my solitude and listen with both ears and an open heart.