Well August is upon us and as much as I love the summer, this humidity can leave any time now! I’m so thankful for mulch, which is keeping the weeds down, and for air conditioning, which is keeping me sane! I enjoy spending time in my yard, tending to my herbs and flowers, but lately they’ve been on their own!
I will be going to the shore later this month for a long weekend and I can’t wait to get my toes in the sand. We weren’t able to get there last year, so I am really looking forward to some ocean time. There is something so peaceful about being at the ocean’s edge: feeling the cool water, the warming sun, hearing the sounds of seagulls and waves. It has always been a time of reflection and renewal for me. We go to Long Beach Island, NJ, otherwise known as my “happiest place on earth.”
I’m sure you all have a place that makes you feel the way I do when I’m at the shore. Maybe it’s a vacation spot, a family member’s home, or your own backyard. Sometimes I just close my eyes, picture the beach, listen for the sounds and it is a 30-second vacation. I am so grateful to God for all of the wonderful gifts he has given us, including the ability to go anywhere we want to go just by closing our eyes. How priceless! Maybe this will inspire you to close your eyes and take a mini vacation. We can’t always physically be in our “happiest place on earth,” but we can visit in our minds anytime. For me, it is one of the ways I am reminded of the tools God has given us to center ourselves when we are overwhelmed or stressed with life’s challenges. Focusing on the gifts we have makes all the difference.