By: Gabriela Yareliz
(From earlier this week).
I am writing this sitting in St. Paul’s Church. My hand curled around the edge of the pew, where I felt a piece of ancient gum that has probably been under the pew for longer than I have been alive. It didn’t even bother me.
I am here on a silent retreat of sorts. Sometimes, I feel like everything I do in efforts to help a situation just makes it worse.
I am just going to keep silent, for now. Today, I had two hours of silence. And yet, still my mind was loud. Eventually, by the time my hand found the ancient gum, everything, including my disgust was silent.
I looked around, at the statues around me. Goodbye, Virgin Mary. Goodbye, apostles. Goodbye, everyone. Thank you for welcoming me into your silence, today. I stepped out of the cathedral, into the noise and blinding light.
GABRIELA YARELIZ 