This morning, I found myself alone in the house, sipping my morning coffee with only our dog, Lilly, for company. As I stared at the blank page on my computer, trying to conjure up a story for today's newsletter, I let out a sigh—a deep, involuntary exhale. But why?
It got me thinking about sighs. Why do we do it? Is it just a release of air, or is there more to it? I chose not to Google it, preferring to ponder the question myself.
A memory surfaced from a few weeks ago. I had finished my morning chores and headed to our local co-op to arrange some services and, of course, grab a cup of coffee. As I settled onto one of the stools at the service counter, I sighed. Sitting next to me was another farmer, probably twenty years my senior. He turned to me and said, "You're not old enough to sigh like that."
His comment caught me off guard. Was he implying that sighing is reserved for the aged? That only those who've lived long and hard have earned the right to express such weariness? It made me reflect on the nature of sighs. Are they merely expressions of exhaustion, or do they signify something deeper?
Back at home, with Lilly by my side, I sighed again. But unlike the farmer at the co-op, she didn’t respond, of course. Dogs don’t offer sympathy for human musings. But the act of sighing felt like a release, a momentary pause in the rhythm of life.
I guess the point I’m trying to make is this: if a person sighs alone, does anyone hear it? Of course not! So when we sigh around others, I feel it’s one of the most genuine expressions of our feelings. It’s something we do with or without an audience, and that makes it—oddly—a true tell of our mental state.
And finally, sighs happen for so many reasons, don’t they? I think the farmer at the co-op thought I was expressing my plight. But thinking back, it was really a declaration of joy—just a quiet little celebration of having a moment to sit down and enjoy a hot cup of coffee.
Sighs are still a confusing thing to me. But I think they mean more than we realize.
Wishing you a reflective and peaceful day ahead,
Farmer Rod