The Ultimate Hideaway

I need a vacation . . .

I’ve said those words in my head a thousand times. When I’m stuck in traffic, unloading the dishwasher, rushing to meet obligations, or descending into the technology rabbit hole - one thing leading to another . . . I know I need a break.

It’s time to find a peaceful hideaway when life starts to squeeze and it’s hard to breathe. Like the robot from Lost in Space who’s on information overload and has used up his lasers fighting aliens, my circuits start sizzling and sparking until I shut down. The robot’s last words of warning are, “Danger! Danger!” They’re like the signals my body sometimes sends me. But often, I don’t listen. 

When I’m exhausted, my spirit needs a chance to regroup. It needs nurturing, with no racing thoughts competing for attention.

  I saw an article recently about the healing power of nature. Just sitting. Observing. Taking in the beauty of nature and all the soothing sounds and sights. Listening for trickling water, the trill of a bird, or the sound of distant lightning. I feel better just now as I’m writing those words. 

This is what the land of story can do, whether we’re creating it or reading it. We enter another world when we’re reading–whether it’s a new book with fresh ink and crisp paper, or a classic with bent page corners and bookshelf dust. Life-affirming words nurture us, challenge us, and give us hope when all seems lost. Stories open doors to new possibilities and invite us to sojourn into lands we may never see. I like to think of it as experiencing a little bit of eternity while still here on Earth. 

And what can be a better vacation than that?