Alone with yourself..!

Pause a moment in the middle of the hurly-burly of your everyday life and tell me, with the TV, your cell phone and the computer always at your beck and call, do you ever get time to be alone with yourself?       
It was a few years ago I met this very saintly looking old lady and asked her the secret of her calm and peacefulness, which I could see on her face always.
“Sit,” she said as she made place for me besides her, “I was twelve years old and one morning waited for a friend to come over, but she rang up to say she couldn’t come, which got me so annoyed I began to make a nuisance of myself at home.”
“Finally my father could not take it any longer and told me to get a book, a blanket and an apple. Then he took me in his car and drove eight miles into the country, till we reached a park, which belonged to some convent and there he left me, saying, ‘You are not fit company for anyone! Stay till I come back and collect you!’
 “At first I was angry and full of defiance. I wanted to walk back, but knowing my father’s anger I changed my mind. So I decided that there was nothing else to do but settle down and let time go by, even so it took some time to let my anger subside, and I sat for sometime doodling and sulking, and as time went by felt hungry and ate my apple, and very gradually felt my anger going.”
 “Things quietened down inside me and I felt more at peace. I opened my eyes to the world around me, I looked up at the blue sky and again around at the beauty of the countryside. When I saw all this beauty I began to feel ashamed of my behavior and how childish and selfish I was!”
“Remember Bob I was only twelve years old!”
 “And surprisingly as my mood changed to one of peace and even joy I found I liked being alone! And you know what, I got a feeling of my own goodness! At the same time I felt at one with the world around me and had a distinct feeling of being close to God!”
“Time flew and by the time my father came for me I was almost a new person! I had grown like a young plant in the sun, and I thanked my father for the risk he had taken, and for giving me an opportunity to discover myself.” The old lady her eyes twinkling, looked at me, “Try it out” she said, “That experience had a profound and lasting effect on me. I grew to love solitude and make a habit of seeking it at difficult moments! And you don’t need the hills, the mountains or a beach, just a porch, a window or a balcony will do!”
And as I walked away I still hear her parting words, “Don’t try to find yourself in a crowd, or in the hurly-burly of everyday occupation. You need to stand apart. You need solitude..!”
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Alone with yourself..!

Pause a moment in the middle of the hurly-burly of your everyday life and tell me, with the TV, your cell phone and the computer always at your beck and call, do you ever get time to be alone with yourself? It was a few years ago I met this very saintly looking old lady and asked her the secret of her calm and peacefulness, which I could see on her face always. Sit, she said as she made place for me besides her, I was twelve years old and one morning waited for a friend to come over, but she rang up to say she couldnt come, which got me so annoyed I began to make a nuisance of myself at home. Finally my father could not take it any longer and told me to get a book, a blanket and an apple. Then he took me in his car and drove eight miles into the country, till we reached a park, which belonged to some convent and there he left me, saying, You are not fit company for anyone! Stay till I come back and collect you! At first I was angry and full of defiance. I wanted to walk back, but knowing my fathers anger I changed my mind. So I decided that there was nothing else to do but settle down and let time go by, even so it took some time to let my anger subside, and I sat for sometime doodling and sulking, and as time went by felt hungry and ate my apple, and very gradually felt my anger going. Things quietened down inside me and I felt more at peace. I opened my eyes to the world around me, I looked up at the blue sky and again around at the beauty of the countryside. When I saw all this beauty I began to feel ashamed of my behavior and how childish and selfish I was! Remember Bob I was only twelve years old! And surprisingly as my mood changed to one of peace and even joy I found I liked being alone! And you know what, I got a feeling of my own goodness! At the same time I felt at one with the world around me and had a distinct feeling of being close to God! Time flew and by the time my father came for me I was almost a new person! I had grown like a young plant in the sun, and I thanked my father for the risk he had taken, and for giving me an opportunity to discover myself. The old lady her eyes twinkling, looked at me, Try it out she said, That experience had a profound and lasting effect on me. I grew to love solitude and make a habit of seeking it at difficult moments! And you dont need the hills, the mountains or a beach, just a porch, a window or a balcony will do! And as I walked away I still hear her parting words, Dont try to find yourself in a crowd, or in the hurly-burly of everyday occupation. You need to stand apart. You need solitude..! [email protected]