Solitude is an attitude, an attitude of gratitude. It is a state of mind, a state of heart, a whole universe unto itself.
~ from FOOD FOR SOLITIIDE by Francine Schiff
Silence is our real nature... Holy and healing, there is no fear in silence. Silence is autonomous like love and beauty and untouched by time. Silence is meditation, free from any intention, free from anyone who meditates. Silence is the absence of oneself. And the one established in silence lives in constant offering, in prayer without asking, in thankfulness, in continual love.