Places of Beauty and Peace

In the summer of 1985, I traveled to England, Scotland, and Wales with my dad, mom, and grandmother. We were never quite sure if my dad was brave or simply nuts to try driving across the British Isles with his wife, mother, and daughter, but it was a wonderful trip.

My grandmother had traveled a lot by then but had stayed in touristy hotels selected by the tour guides as she took trips of the “If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium” type. (That’s the title of a 1969 movie if you don’t recognize the reference.) She wanted to see what it was like to travel as my parents preferred which was more of the rent-a-car-and-see-what-happens type. (She enjoyed it though she was surprised the first time she had to go down the hall to the restroom. When you stay in a place that’s been a coaching inn since the twelfth century, the amenities are different.)

As a family we had survived the 1968 trip when my day learned to drive on the ‘wrong’ side of the road. Well, once he managed to find reverse in our rented Volkswagen, tricky with the left hand, and get us out of the airport parking lot. For this trip, he drove and I navigated with a paper map from the back seat. We started driving in circles in London, but eventually managed to find our way out of the city.

I was reminded of this trip today after reading a newsletter from BulletJournal.com. They sell notebooks and journals, of course, but also share tips and ideas about mindful productivity. Today though, the author wrote about a hike with friend to the falls on Diamond Notch Trail. It was a hike of several hours to the top of the falls. As they stood there, the author’s friend said, “What I love about places like this is that I know no matter what, this is here. When I’m stuck in a traffic jam or work sucks, I think of this and it’s better. Knowing this is here, always being beautiful, now and long after I’m gone, makes it all better.”

That quote immediately took me to this family trip and our visit in southern England. We went to see Stonehenge and then drove twenty miles to see the Salisbury Cathedral. We arrived late in the day after the cathedral was closed and any visitors were gone. Summer light lingers in England and I will never forget sitting there staring at the beautiful building and lush greenery surrounding it. The hush was deep and the only word I have for what I felt is awe.

Thinking about my experience sitting there that day, I understood what the speaker meant. It’s a wonderful reminder that both the natural world and some of the creations of human are places that remind us of experiences, ideas, and realities that are bigger and more enduring than our day to day issues.

Some of those issues are big and difficult, but often they are merely irritating and petty when we stop and think about it. Either way, taking a moment to remember experiences of beauty, awe, and peace in the midst of a hectic day is a great idea and one I want to start practicing.

Where are your places of beauty and peace? Where have you experienced awe and amazement? Perhaps taking a moment to return there mentally will help make a day better. If nothing else, it can remind us such places exist and that’s a gift in itself.

Take care,

Gage

Link to the source newsletter https://manage.kmail-lists.com/subscriptions/web-view?a=N4sebt&c=01J1QMXWK8DS3WDEQ5JH3KY20S&k=b04a152171bbd88723c767216c3d6f4a&m=01J7Y7TN3PWVGQQDMVZJYQB4Y6&r=3gaTfHGN