Time to Step Back and Breathe

I find it so easy to get caught up in the stress of day-to-day activity: bills to pay, appointments to keep, work to do, and emergencies that pop up out of nowhere.  The oppressive heat of summer weighs down so heavy that I feel like an apple that has had all the sweetness squeezed out--my spirit can feel rather dry and I become a bit crusty and curt in my responses.

I need to step away from it all occasionally and regain some perspective.  The beauty of the outdoors helps to provide a difference; a new point of vision can change my point of view.  Elizabeth Barrett Browning said it well:

The Little Cares

by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

The little cares that fretted me,
I lost them yesterday
Among the fields above the sea,
Among the winds at play;
Among the lowing of the herds,
The rustling of the trees,
Among the singing of the birds,
The humming of the bees.

The foolish fears of what may happen--
I cast them all away
Among the clover-scented grass,
Among the new-mown hay;
Among the husking of the corn
Where drowsy poppies nod,
Where ill thoughts die and good are born,
Out in the fields with God.

Summer Sea Thoughts

 A few random thoughts and a nice couple of poem links:

I wonder just what it is about water that is so compelling?  Source of life, refreshment, deep blue beauty--of course all of those, but somehow more.  I was always getting into puddles and streams even as a toddler, always drawn to the water and longing to be near it.  I don't live at the beach or even by a stream, river or lake, but none of those are very far away, and would dearly love to live beside a body of water someday.  For now, my little pond and fountain are a solace.

Like John Masefield, I must go down to the sea every so often, but I don't need a tall ship--much as I love them--just walking along the shore is enough for me. The echoes of the ocean waves, drawing in and out, are not as bleak as Matthew Arnold's musings may have made them, but they do indeed resonate with the soul.  Few things are as restorative to me as a walk along the seaside.

What resonates with you for a restorative summer's moment?