A glorious gift you can always give yourself

Summer is the season when many of us head to the beach or other vacation getaways. Think having time to kick back, relax, read, and play.

After many weeks of being on the go, I am grateful to have had a short but marvelous summer getaway this past weekend. We went to celebrate a family birthday, and had no idea of how wonderful an experience we were in for. Even enduring a long travel delay to get home, it was marvelously restorative.

And one reason for the peak experience came as a surprise.

The gift I did not expect

It was certainly wonderful to be with family we rarely see, as everyone is geographically dispersed. Multiple generations (ages ranged from late 80s to a precious 3-month old) connected with joy.

And the setting was remarkable.

Being on the Maryland shore was incredibly beautiful, and the vistas of water and sky were amazing. Even with high temperatures and humidity, there were breezes that invited us onto verandas for conversation and snoozes.

I did not think it could get better than that. Until it did.

As dusk turned to dark, nature created a quiet symphony. The sounds of water gently lapping against the rocks mixed with sounds of air moving through the tress. Frogs chimed in with wonderful croaking. Fireflies created moments of sparkle that made the experience even more magical.

Nature’s gifts are always available

No matter where we live, we can choose to take time and look for wonder.

We can seek out beautiful quiet places and savor the subtle but glorious gifts that nature offers us.

Take it in with your eyes, your ears, and your heart.

I intend to give myself this gift often.

I invite you to join me.