The Quiet Within the Glass

We often mistake silence for an absence of language, assuming that if a voice is not heard, the mind must be empty. But there is a profound, humming depth to the worlds we cannot enter. Like a stone resting at the bottom of a clear, still pond, some spirits exist in a state of perpetual inwardness, untouched by the ripples of our frantic, noisy lives. To observe such a soul is to realize that we are all, in some measure, separated by the invisible walls of our own perceptions. We build these boundaries to protect the fragile, flickering light of our inner selves. When we stop trying to break through these barriers with our demands and our expectations, we might finally see the beauty of the sanctuary held within. There is a sacred stillness in simply allowing another to exist in their own rhythm, honoring the mystery of a heart that speaks in a language of pure, unhurried presence.

Zahraa Al Hassani has captured this delicate, internal sanctuary in her moving image titled I’m Imprisoned in Autism. It is a gentle reminder to sit with the quiet of others rather than trying to fill it. Will you join me in holding space for this stillness?