Today, I’m grateful for quiet moments — and for a wife who reminds me that silence doesn’t always mean stillness.
Recently, we were at breakfast sharing one pancake, an omelet, and bacon — just enjoying each other’s company. After a while, we both got quiet. When I’m quiet, I’m usually in my head — thinking, processing, planning. But after a few minutes, she leaned over and whispered, “Do you hear that conversation?”
I looked up, surprised — “No, what conversation?” She laughed and said, “The one at the table next to us!”
We both laughed, because while I’m inward when I’m quiet, she’s outward — listening, observing, taking it all in. She said, “It’s actually better to be an active listener.” And she’s right.
It reminded me that there’s a fine line between listening inwardly to understand yourself and listening outwardly to understand others. Both matter. And balance makes all the difference.