Today is my 18th birthday. And to celebrate, I went parasailing over the Gulf of Mexico. Despite my previous assumption, the noise of the wind is soundless up there (1200+/- feet up). I could actually hear myself think – the sad part is that’s the first time in a while I can honestly say that. Life is sweeping with business and constant noise. Take a moment each day, to have silence to just think.

“We sit silently and watch the world around us. This has taken a lifetime to learn. It seems only the old are able to sit next to one another and not say anything and still feel content. The young, brash and impatient, must always break the silence. It is a waste, for silence is pure. Silence is holy. It draws people together because only those who are comfortable with each other can sit without speaking. This is the great paradox.”

– Nicholas Sparks