It’s so important to give space for moments to breathe, whether those moments are serious or lighthearted. So many people will watch a video or a listen to a song and talk through the whole thing instead of paying attention to it. As a result, they miss out on the good parts unless someone rewinds it so they can actually be present for the experience. Even if they’re quiet throughout, they’ll often start speaking as soon as it’s over instead of taking a few intentional breaths while they gather their thoughts. When I’m listening to music and a song comes to an end, rather than resume my normal activities right away, I like to give at least a few moments for the song to fully fade out and the world around me to fully fade back in.
There’s a sacredness and magic to doing that. It’s a way to honor what I just experienced and let it fully sink in before moving on. Doing this with people close to me in social situations makes those moments even more beautiful. Instead of making a silence awkward, we soak in it and just be in each other’s presence. It doesn’t get much better than that. If there’s something to say, that’s fine, but no need to add words just for the sake of having words instead of letting the silence be. There’s a lot you can pick up on by being quiet and seeing how each moment feels and breathes rather than thinking or talking so much about it.
Letting moments breathe also makes my hobbies more enjoyable. Whenever I accomplish something that I’ve been working at for a long time or I’m doing something that always requires several attempts before I get it, I like to pause and celebrate afterward, even if that involves simply smiling and sighing with relief. That’s a lot nicer than immediately moving on to the next thing. Also, if I’m swing dancing and there’s a pause in a song or another kind of opportunity to do something a little different and unexpected, taking advantage of it is always delightful for both me and my dance partner.
I’d much rather sit quietly while enjoying a sunset (as I did with a friend earlier this year) than talk at length about how it looks, how it makes me feel, etc. The silent experience is so much more powerful and moving than narrating it. This has been especially important for me lately. For some reason, I’ve had little interest in socializing with even my close friends and I’ve found it extremely difficult to converse in person. It’s easier online but still more difficult than usual. In person, it takes a huge amount of effort so it tires me out easily, unless I’m having silly/lighthearted conversations. Even those I can only handle for so long before I want to fall asleep. Fortunately, I’ve been feeling significantly better after making some small but important changes, so my sociability is steadily climbing once again. That lets me find the right words during the talking moments and allow space to breathe during the quiet moments.