“In order to understand the world, one has to turn away from it on occasion.” – Albert Camus
It’s been 12 months since I’ve last unplugged and rested, so this vacation is much-needed and heavily felt. My motor has been running hard on every facet of life, and I’ve begun to feel a sputter. It’s possible that every year I say it, but this year I know I mean it more than all the rest: I’m grateful for the chance to retreat, to renew. My heart needed the break in view and routine. My mind needed the chance to unwind the tangles, and my soul feels lighter, happier, with the chance to breathe and renew.
Everyone has their happy place, and for me, it’s at the beach. Feet grounded in sand, toes brushed by saltwater, skin warmed by sunshine, and hair lifted in the breeze, I’m in my element. I love it here.
It’s easy not to get away and let the calendar fill with engagements and the checking account drain of funds. But sometimes, finding a safe haven and pursuing it is important–at least, it is for me.
renewal
/rəˈn(y)o͞oəl/ re·new·al (noun): the replacing or repair of something that is worn out, run-down, or broken
Sunburst, Florida Gulf Coast
retreat
/rəˈtrēt/ re·treat (noun): a quiet or secluded place in which one can rest and relax; refuge, safe haven, sanctuary
Fog and sea spray, Florida
“We say that flowers return every spring, but that is a lie. It is true that the world is renewed. It is also true that that renewal comes at a price, for even if the flower grows from an ancient vine, the flowers of spring are themselves new to the world, untried and untested.
The flower that wilted last year is gone. Petals once fallen are fallen forever. Flowers do not return in the spring, rather they are replaced. It is in this difference between returned and replaced that the price of renewal is paid.
And as it is for spring flowers, so it is for us.”
― Daniel Abraham, The Price of Spring
Gulf sunsets are good for the soul.
Where is the last place you enjoyed a retreat? I’d love to hear what refreshes your soul, too…
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