Solitude – A Reflection

Solitude is not something you must hope for in the future. Rather, it is a deepening of the present, and unless you look for it in the present you will never find it. — Thomas Merton

I came across this quote today in the midst of all of the busyness. I wish I could give the source but after much searching I came up with nothing. An author I respect (Esther De Waal) used this quote in her book, A Retreat with Thomas Merton. There is a lot on my mind and the need for solitude for my sweetheart and for me is great. Merton challenges me to look for those moments in the present instead of a hope for the “ideal retreat” in the future.

May the Spirit guide us both to find such moments in the present even as we look to the future.