Finding Peace at Home and Away

 We have been on holiday in our favourite part of Wales since last Saturday, and will be driving home tomorrow. It's been a glorious week, yet very relaxing. One of the highlights was visiting Dolgoch Falls, as we do every time we come here, which is an incredibly special space for me. It was the only day we had some rain, but even then it was still beautiful.

We have also spent a gorgeously warm and sunny day in Aberystwyth, which was new for both of us, and visited Bodnant Garden in north Wales yesterday, which was glorious in the sunshine. Although even the overflow car park was nearly full when we arrived, Bodnant is such a large site that we never felt crowded with people except at the refreshment places. It was too late in the year for the laburnum arch and for the rhododendrons and azaleas, but there was still so much beauty to wonder at and glory over. Towards the end of our visit, we came back to the house and the rose gardens, which were in full and luscious bloom. 

All in all, it has been a gorgeous week - we've had a mixture of sunshine and rain, long days out and relaxing days where we stayed local (Barmouth to the south and Harlech to the north) and simply relaxed. I love being here, on Ystumgwern Farm, in our lovely upside down cottage, just being peaceful. I've done some writing, a lot of reading and just enjoyed spending time with my beloved. For me, this is the best kind of holiday. Lots of time to recharge my batteries, and when we go home tomorrow, I will feel relaxed and at peace.

 

Digging Deep

When I turned the page of my calendar, and looked at this week's picture, I felt simple pleasure. I have always loved waterfalls - especially walking alongside them, and glorying in their beauty. This dates from early childhood holidays in mid-Wales, which always included a visit to Dolgoch Falls. My father used to spend many happy hours re-arranging the course of the stream, by building dams out of stones and slate, enthusiastically helped (or hindered) by my sister and me.

When I translated the text, I had to laugh, because it was exactly what I needed to hear, this week. The words are by Mark Aurel: "Blick in dich! Innern ist eine Quelle, die nie versiegt, wenn du nur zu graben verstehst."

Which being translated, means: "Look inside you! Inside there is a spring that never dries up, if only you know how to dig."

And I have had to dig, in recent weeks. Perhaps I am secretary of too many Unitarian bodies: the Warwickshire & Neighbouring Counties Monthly Meeting of Protestant Dissenting Ministers (our local ministers' meeting), the Midland Unitarian Association, the Unitarian Ministerial Fellowship, Northampton Unitarians, the Unitarian Peace Fellowship, and the Worship Studies Course Group. And they've ALL had meetings in the last three weeks. And there's another one to come, next Wednesday. It has meant a lot of travelling, and a lot of minute typing.

But I am not complaining. It has been my choice to put my hand up for these roles, because I know I am good at doing the secretary thing, and it is my way of contributing to the wider Unitarian community. And so I choose to dig deep, churn out the minutes, and follow up with the actions.

How do you dig deep for Unitarianism?