Tuesday, April 01, 2008

The Beauty of Shyness - Henri Nouwen

Another great thought from Henri Nouwen

The Beauty of Shyness

There is something beautiful about shyness, even though in our culture shyness is not considered a virtue. On the contrary, we are encouraged to be direct, look people straight in the eyes, tell them what is on our minds, and share our stories without a blush.

But this unflinching soul-baring, confessional attitude quickly becomes boring. It is like trees without shadows. Shy people have long shadows, where they keep much of their beauty hidden from intruders' eyes. Shy people remind us of the mystery of life that cannot be simply explained or expressed. They invite us to reverent and respectful friendships and to a wordless being together in love.

In the News...

I have a post on depression in the works. I've been thinking a lot about that topic again lately, exploring it and turning it over and over again in my thoughts.

In the meantime, here are some headlines that caught my eye in my morning perusal of the news:

India Sends Warning to Dalai Lama

Necklace Found in Peru Oldest in Americas

UN Workers Kidnapped in Somalia

Ugandan Rebel too Ill for Peace