Getting Away and Reconnecting

            Have you ever had an event that has really had an impact on you to the point that you had to process what happened over several days before you could actually tell people about it?  That happened earlier this month when I attended a men’s retreat sponsored by my church. This was a tremendous opportunity to recharge my depleted spiritual batteries.  They had been drained over the past couple of weeks because of work related issues.       The retreat was a perfect forum to escape and to refocus.  The 21 hours spent in an area away from most of society allowed for time for reflection.  Try and imagine this.

            You get up at the crack of dawn or before then because the person in the next bunk is snoring up a storm, but this development provides all kinds of opportunities. You grab a warm beverage and walk to the shore of the lake. (All camps have one)  It brings renewal. The world is awakening before you and this has nothing to do with traffic or your job or the rest of society.  It’s you and nature. On this particular weekend in this particular location it was the sound of Canada geese greeting a new day.  Picture it for a moment.  It’s in the upper 40’s, there is steam coming off the water creating an almost fog like atmosphere.  Then when all is quiet the piercing sound of the call of a goose shatters the morning quiet.  It could be a loon, or just a roster in the nearby field announcing the day depending on where you are.  You sense something surreal about your surroundings and it forces you to pause and for a long time your mind wonders to a quiet place.  You breathe deeply, savoring the moment. You are at peace.  And this is just the first 10 minutes of your day.

            The point here is to make certain that you plan for yourself a getaway.  You don’t necessarily have to go to a camp although I highly recommend it.  It could be your favorite chair at home, with a good book.  It could be for a walk near your home (leave your cell phone at home) but get away.  Take the time to pause and reflect.  Take the time to spend some time with yourself. You are important and you need to take care of yourself.  We all need to stop and get off the merry go round of life and recharge.  Yes, I was fortunate that I could go on a retreat to do so…but just a day ago, it was two hours in a coffee shop, a couple of green teas and a blueberry muffin and some reading.

            I do hope you find the opportunity to take some time soon and recharge. It will be time well spent.

Playing in the Dirt

The last three days have really been a reat great time.  It’s not because of any major accomplishments at the office nor is it because of a reaching a completely harmonious relationship with my wife.  Judy will tell you there are days that I’m not even close.  And no, I am not celebrating recent lottery winnings. 

            For the last few days I have been able to spend about 90 minutes or so playing in the dirt, just like I did when I was a little boy and probably just like any other man did who is reading this when he was a little boy.  It been only a few years now but I have found a wealth of enjoyment through flower gardening.  There is something almost serene about sitting or kneeling on the ground with a small spade in hand, turning the soil and planting something. It’s even more amazing to drop a bulb in the ground and then seeing something break through the dirt a few days later, not really understanding what when on out of sight beneath the surface. It’s one of those periods in time through which I can usually block out everything else in life that may be of concern and concentrate solely on the proper depth and separation of this plant or that one.  Planters by the way, and I am not ashamed to say this, are a great way to score points with the Mrs. The combination of geraniums, salvia, petunias, marigolds seemed to do the trick.  Great color too!  This is just one more example of taking a step back from the fast pace in which we all live and putting some context back into life about what is really important.  It may not be gardening for you, but I’m betting there is something that will help pave the way toward a positive, enriching escape.

            The tradition established earlier has been maintained by the way.  The cell phone stays in the house when I’m in the garden because the last thing I need is to be “playing in the dirt” and have that peacefulness interrupted by a text message.  Now if I can just get the dirt out from under my fingernails…

Stepping Away to Enjoy Life

This falls under the category of the need to take a step back and enjoy some of the blessings in life. It will demonstrate how there are times for the digital world to invade our lives and there are times for it to be put aside.

It was the weekend of March 31 when my wife and I traveled north to her hometown and the celebration of her mother's 95th birthday. It is a milestone in and of itself because of the longevity that is involved. But it was also an opportunity to bring family together something that happens all too infrequently in this day and age. Grand children and great grand children were present, friends of the honoree that in some cases date back decades, and some long lost acquaintances who showed up unexpectedly to round out the day. Someone actually provided about three dozen helium filled balloons to be launched as part of the celebration. (Just try getting the extended family together to do that sometimes) The opportunities for fellowship and coming together as a family are becoming less and less so the celebration served as a reminder to take advantage of them whenever you can. This was not the time for the digital age to intrude in our lives.

But just before this celebration was a perfect example of using the digital tools at our disposal to communicate with one another in a meaningful way. It was on the way to the celebration that in came a message on my wife's smart phone with a picture attached. It was just a half hour earlier that our 8th grand child was born (a girl) and grandma suddenly became very excited. She quickly forwarded the information on to those who needed to know. And yes, the parents had up on their Face Book pages pictures of their daughter within a few hours. So even though she already has a digital footprint that will grow in the years to come, technology and social media did play an important role in getting the word out. Just don't let it interfere with those special family times. Just put down the phone and the computer and enjoy.

What's on both will still be there in a couple of hours.