Respite
I have been at the beach for the last week. A few days before that I was in the mountains. You see, my man and I needed to get away. The mountains called, his bagpipes played, the libations flowed. Then we were led to heed the siren call of the water. There's nothing like getting away from the daily routines of life to set you right with the world again. To actually shut out the things you choose to shut out of your life is a necessity sometimes. But what if you can't because of time constraints and finances? I know about this. Last year I didn't get to go anywhere. In years prior, in my former unhappy life, I got to take vacations every summer with my family. While they were always welcome and usually (temporarily) wonderful, they lacked a real sense of respite.....that was due to the unhappy marriage part, and that's already been hashed out here, you can read about it if you like by going back to the older posts before January 2011, but since January this blog has been about new life and new adventures and living at your highest vibration. But when the money that bought the vacations was suddenly gone from my life last summer, I had to figure out a way to satisfy the "gotta-get-away-itch". And here's what I did:
I camped in the back yard with my little girl at my side. We slept under the stars, and made S'mores. A lot. We learned the flowers, we stayed together, and we went slow. I taught my little one to meditate....yes, it's possible to teach a six year old to sit still long enough in order to tell the Universe what her young concerns are, and then to send a blessing to the people in her life. We looked for and found every free outdoor event and nature trail our area offered. We got suntanned and our legs got strong. We had friends that invited us often to come over and sit by their fire pit. We listened endlessly to the comforting sounds of crickets in the night. They would tell us we were going to be alright. The summer nights cradled my hopes and fears....as I cradled my little girl. We picked berries at a farm that somehow just knew the weary looking mother and her little girl probably needed the comfort and safety of their family farm, and they gave us extra berries, more then we could hold in the plastic grocery bags we brought....so they gave a flat....for free. I learned how to make ice cream last summer. Custard based ice cream, and if you haven't had a custard based blackberry ice cream, well, you haven't had ice cream! Just sayin'. We were allowed access to a neighborhood pool, we spent endless hours in the water. We met other like-minded families that seemed to take a liking to us, and our friend base just grew and grew. As we stretched ourselves, as I allowed myself to reach out to others, a community of caring people came into our lives. We found the respite and the relaxation we so desperately needed last summer.
If money holds you back from your dream vacation, then reframe what vacation means. I'm an armchair traveler now. I've been to Europe several times, China once, and to my beloved Ireland four times. But these days I collect brochures and travel guides from the destinations I would love to visit. I am signaling the Universe that I am ready to open myself to what is possible. I don't need to know how it will happen, or when it will happen. All I know is that it will happen. Be creative with what you have. Look at your part of the world and plan a day trip somewhere. Stay near home, it doesn't have to be far, and it can be done inexpensively. I promise once you actually open yourself to the adventure that's waiting as near as your back yard, you will be signaling the Universe that you are ready for what comes next. That's just how it works. Embrace what you have, reinterpret your sense of "want", and then pay attention. Opportunities will arise, and you will find the relaxation and the respite....and the adjusted outlook....you seek. Last summer I found there was nothing like gliding silently in a kayak along the reeds and marshes of a waterway, and during last summer's healing time I was taken to a place of deep joy when I met some people that owned kayaks along a stretch of the Kentucky River. Through a series of "coincidences" (which began at that berry farm) I was able to take their kayaks out for a weekend.....with all the gear included, and with an instructor/Sierra Club guide to boot! True respite and a grateful nod to a Universe that took care of this woman's need for "getting away", was the order of the day last summer.
To get away....first go within. There is a deep well of resources available to you, both seen and unseen. They're free. There are no lines with screaming children to endure. There is no gas to be pumped first and then paid for from deep within your pocket. There is only what is possible. And if you can dream it, and see yourself doing it, you will find ways to experience your heart's desire. Respite will be made available to you in the most unexpected of ways. It's such a surprise when it does comes your way......just like Summer herself, when she comes laughing and bounding over the fields in June, you will be filled and delighted by all your senses, and paths will open up to you. And that's the best respite from the world I know of.....to be delighted with the simple pleasures of this life.
Wishing you a haven, an adventure waiting around the corner, and deep peace that surpasses our current understanding.
Until next time.....blessings upon you heart
Cindy
I camped in the back yard with my little girl at my side. We slept under the stars, and made S'mores. A lot. We learned the flowers, we stayed together, and we went slow. I taught my little one to meditate....yes, it's possible to teach a six year old to sit still long enough in order to tell the Universe what her young concerns are, and then to send a blessing to the people in her life. We looked for and found every free outdoor event and nature trail our area offered. We got suntanned and our legs got strong. We had friends that invited us often to come over and sit by their fire pit. We listened endlessly to the comforting sounds of crickets in the night. They would tell us we were going to be alright. The summer nights cradled my hopes and fears....as I cradled my little girl. We picked berries at a farm that somehow just knew the weary looking mother and her little girl probably needed the comfort and safety of their family farm, and they gave us extra berries, more then we could hold in the plastic grocery bags we brought....so they gave a flat....for free. I learned how to make ice cream last summer. Custard based ice cream, and if you haven't had a custard based blackberry ice cream, well, you haven't had ice cream! Just sayin'. We were allowed access to a neighborhood pool, we spent endless hours in the water. We met other like-minded families that seemed to take a liking to us, and our friend base just grew and grew. As we stretched ourselves, as I allowed myself to reach out to others, a community of caring people came into our lives. We found the respite and the relaxation we so desperately needed last summer.
If money holds you back from your dream vacation, then reframe what vacation means. I'm an armchair traveler now. I've been to Europe several times, China once, and to my beloved Ireland four times. But these days I collect brochures and travel guides from the destinations I would love to visit. I am signaling the Universe that I am ready to open myself to what is possible. I don't need to know how it will happen, or when it will happen. All I know is that it will happen. Be creative with what you have. Look at your part of the world and plan a day trip somewhere. Stay near home, it doesn't have to be far, and it can be done inexpensively. I promise once you actually open yourself to the adventure that's waiting as near as your back yard, you will be signaling the Universe that you are ready for what comes next. That's just how it works. Embrace what you have, reinterpret your sense of "want", and then pay attention. Opportunities will arise, and you will find the relaxation and the respite....and the adjusted outlook....you seek. Last summer I found there was nothing like gliding silently in a kayak along the reeds and marshes of a waterway, and during last summer's healing time I was taken to a place of deep joy when I met some people that owned kayaks along a stretch of the Kentucky River. Through a series of "coincidences" (which began at that berry farm) I was able to take their kayaks out for a weekend.....with all the gear included, and with an instructor/Sierra Club guide to boot! True respite and a grateful nod to a Universe that took care of this woman's need for "getting away", was the order of the day last summer.
To get away....first go within. There is a deep well of resources available to you, both seen and unseen. They're free. There are no lines with screaming children to endure. There is no gas to be pumped first and then paid for from deep within your pocket. There is only what is possible. And if you can dream it, and see yourself doing it, you will find ways to experience your heart's desire. Respite will be made available to you in the most unexpected of ways. It's such a surprise when it does comes your way......just like Summer herself, when she comes laughing and bounding over the fields in June, you will be filled and delighted by all your senses, and paths will open up to you. And that's the best respite from the world I know of.....to be delighted with the simple pleasures of this life.
Wishing you a haven, an adventure waiting around the corner, and deep peace that surpasses our current understanding.
Until next time.....blessings upon you heart
Cindy
Oh, but a week at the beach sounds sublime..... hope you enjoyed it to the max!
ReplyDeleteDear Cate...yes, it was sublime. To be rocked by the oceans currents, to come up sputtering and laughing after diving head first into a wave, to walk along the beach hand-in-hand at sunset, to lie on your back on the sand at night while doting on the moon, to listen to the lullaby of water lapping the shore......to just breathe easy and deep and full....yes, it was sublime.
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