Today the sun and heat has died down a bit and the breeze is coming in through the window as I write. My onions are caramelizing slowly in the kitchen and every now and then the smell of sweetness passes under my nose.

It’s a quiet day, with the hairdresser next door being closed. Typically talking echoes off the tile floor loud enough to penetrate my closed front door and filter in through my open window. There occasionally women stand outside with liquid color that has been painted onto their heads and plastic pink sheaths wrapped around their shoulders. They speak privately on the telephone, but with such emphasis that the conversation becomes not just between two people but the neighborhood population.

I find the chitter chatter soothing most days, I don’t know why. Perhaps it is because I do not fully comprehend the language or maybe because it fills the moments with background noise. It is similar to leaving a television on, but without paying for the electricity.

Today, however, I am happy to listen to the breeze and have the slow soft jazz music in the background. I am looking forward to my evening walk along the river when it cools down and the sun sets over the river.

During this time of solitude one must find joy in every moment. Reaching out for the moments that one has to reflect, to find goodness in others, and to not be shaken by silence.

The carmelized onions are finished and their sweet taste lingers like the silence I am surrounded by today. It is time to eat. The next best part of the day after the lazy solitude. Until next time.

May your weekend be filled with quiet if you search for it, people because it brings you joy, or a lazy afternoon of time to just be you.

How did you spend your weekend? Comment below…

Ciao from Italy,

-jc