Listen to the sound of silence

Last Saturday, I watched with hope and amazement the March for Our Lives. So many thoughts raced through my head. So many feelings swelled in my heart. And then, I saw the profound presence of Emma Gonzalez, who eloquently chose silence to convey her message. Of all the speeches I listened to, Ms Gonzalez's was the most moving to me. Without words, she spoke volumes. And it made me think.

Without light, there is no darkness. Without love, there is no grief. Without hope, there is no despair. Without normal, there is no abnormal.

When you are in that darkness, or grief, or despair, know that it is because you understand that there is a light. You know love. You know hope. You know when things are not normal precisely because normal exists.

The darkness always has a message. Seek to understand it. And silence can be thunderous. Seek to hear the words.

This is not intended to reduce everything in life to either/or. Life isn't like that. Life is complicated. You are complicated; multi-layered. You are many things at once, never one or the other. That's not what human beings are. But when the darkness is threatening, do not turn away in fear or doubt. Our task is to face the silence and find the words that reflect the truth -- fearless, loving, complicated, articulate truth. Facing the darkness means acknowledging the light.

I am grateful to the Marchers for their courage and compelling inspiration. Let the week ahead be one of reflection on your own silent testimony to your own spoken truth.