Escapes

We typically long for beautiful and far-away places to go on vacation with our families.  Those once or twice a year vacations can do wonders for us.  But other times we just need a little reprieve and plan girls’ trips, weekend escapes and even quick day jaunts.   The essence of this need is just getting away from our everyday lives to do something fun, different, or just to relax.  Don’t we all need a quick break from our everyday once in a while?  As much as I love my children and the life I lead in its entirety, it does get tiring.  Sometimes it gets very tiring with no rest for the weary! Ha! 
What do you do when you desperately need a get-away?  What can you do to get the little breather you need?   What have you done lately when you’ve wanted to take a little break?  This is my birthday month and I made a decision to not focus on my age, but rather to enjoy the whole month; and I am.  I’ve tried doing different things.  Not necessarily majorly different, but perhaps things I haven’t done in years.  Things I used to do as a child and things that children do.  The other day I watched an episode of Arthur the Aardvark on PBS!  It was my kids’ favorite show for many years and it brought back many wonderful memories of such innocent times.  Another day I took a walk at a nearby park.  There were young kids playing, running around and rolling down a sloping lawn.  I decided to lie on the grass.  I admit I looked for the grassiest patch I could find; afraid I would get dirty or be uncomfortable.  I found a perfect spot under a tree with just a touch of the sun peeking through.  I laid there on the damp lawn watching the kids having fun.  Then, I closed my eyes.  I hadn’t felt that relaxed in a long time.  I even felt myself breathing calmly, and I thought:  ‘I can’t remember when was the last time I did this!’  It was truly a moment of pure delight.  Sheer perfection!  I want to do it again!!!
So, why do we stop ourselves from doing those things?  Who says adults can’t do things that children do?  What happened and when, to make us start behaving like ‘adults’ and forget all the joys of partaking in children’s activities?  I now have plans to do other things I used to do as a child.  Things I truly enjoyed and that were fun to me when I was younger.  There is no reason to stop.  So my birthday resolution is simple:  don’t act your age!