Enjoy the silence

About 18 months ago, I was in charge of getting my daughter, Kennedy, out of our house while my wife had some friends over for breakfast.

I took my then two-year-old to my favorite breakfast spot about 20 minutes from our house.

What I remember about that breakfast was sitting there with my little girl, barely able to speak to her in a meaningful way. She only knew enough words to answer simple questions. Besides, she was engrossed in her chocolate chip pancakes and whipped cream.

It was a curious thing, sitting there so in love with a little girl that I could hardly converse with. We sat in silence most of the meal because that was our option, but it didn’t matter. It was a daddy-daughter date I’ll always remember.

I guess my point is that silence – quiet, calm – is a poorly used relational tool. The gaps are where memories are often made. Perhaps someone needed to hear that today.