Sonorous Meaning

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Sonorous Meaning by Cate Schultz

When I was little, people told me I had boundless energy and a loud voice. Back then, I took this as a compliment. Look at how much I can project, everyone can hear me and everyone must be curious about what I have to say. I would talk often, attempting to explain this world that I was just beginning to know and understand. One afternoon, my mother recalls that she found me reading at a high volume to a cohort of stuffed animal listeners, only to realize the book was upside down. 

Now, I think I may have spoken so loudly because I was trying to find myself among all the noise. Every single day, I hear the music that builds the soundtrack to my life: the footsteps of my sister in the morning, the jingle of my dog’s collar, the rhythm of a watering can tapping gently against my knee, the plucks in “Landslide” on my guitar, the wind on the bay, the laughter working with children, my sobs when overwhelmed, the dance shoes hitting the floor, and the all-encompassing silence right before I drift to sleep. The good, the bad, the in-between, all fill my life with vibrant sound. However, when I am forced to silence, whether going to sleep or during outdoor Quaker worship at summer camp, questions arise that make me consider this loudness. Where do I fall in all this noise? What will my song be? 

With the unwavering support of these sounds and the love they represented, I have begun to find my own voice amidst the choir. I do not believe I am one sound, rather I am a blend of these people, experiences, and moments which shape me. The composition of my tune is not complete yet, it is still growing. But I know the journey to get there is going to be full of harmonious light, and for that I am grateful.