Have you ever seen a green ocean? Sounds normal but how about a green ocean in Indiana or Iowa? There are few things more beautiful than a field of corn that is a healthy green color, about waste high, with a gentle breeze creating waves that ripple across the surface. Dark green trees who's leaves wave back stand guard around the field while dipping their roots into the grassy ditches. Everywhere you look is shades of green set against a blue sky with a few white pillows floating by. You breathe in the rich air and realize the baseball player in Field of Dreams wasn't too far off when he thought this was heaven.
As I walk through the fields in my waking dreams, chewing on a blade of grass and enjoying the freedom from my school desk, I know this is a wonderful world. I hang upside down in a tree with my legs bent at the knees holding me and look at this world from a new perspective. Our dog Princess yelping at me to get down before I hurt myself, or barking orders to play more. We walk together as I find green apples that curl my ears when I bite into them. Willow trees supply whips and forts as their branches hang over us like a giant's long green hair.
My wife laughs at me as I stare off into space with a smile on my face. "Where were you just now?" she asks. I come back to the present with an abrupt start. I smile back and say: "I was just taking a vacation."
The art of the mini-vacation is a skill that we should hone. The art of taking a little time off and going to a place where life is good and at peace is important. I am not talking about just emptying your mind and humming. I am talking about taking a moment to remember what you are fighting for. Go to that place that reminds you about the WHY of life. That place; that mini-vacation could be staring into the eyes of your children, sitting in the arms of your spouse, watering the flowers in your garden, or simply walking through the field in your dreams.
Master the art of the mini-vacation.