The joy and love of effortless delight
Saying yes to a mid-January retreat
So I started my substack musings on 1st January with a post about Rest not resolutions. This included the following quote:
‘Because we do not rest, we lose our way. We miss the compass points that would show us where to go. We bypass the nourishment that would give us succour. We miss the quiet that would give us reason. We miss the joy and love born from effortless delight’.
It seemed a bit hasty to take two days away in Norfolk a mere three weeks into the new year, but when a favourite hotel offered us a bargain break in the middle of January we couldn’t resist. What a joy this turned out to be.
The weather on Friday was perfect blue skies and sunshine. It was also bitterly cold but we wrapped up warm and spent the day outdoors soaking in the beauty of the north Norfolk coastline. First was a visit to Titchwell Marsh RSPB reserve which was stunningly beautiful in its wintry costume of frost and ice. From there we went to the RSPB reserve at Snettisham where we were treated to pink-footed geese flying overhead and the unusual sight (at least to us) of a long-tailed duck. The day drew to a close with a spectacular sunset over the tundra-like frozen shore-line.
On Saturday morning we returned to Snettisham. The sun had deserted us and in its place was a bitingly cold wind. However the low temperature was made up for by the warmth of other bird-watchers who willing shared sighting information, lens cleaner, and the offer of breakfast. After lunch in the superb Granary cafe, we moved onto Holkham Nature Reserve where we found thousands of widgeon, all sorts of geese, and a great many other birds as well.
Most of all we appreciated the peace and quiet of this fabulous part of the country. Walking beneath vast expanses of sky is a precious reminder of our own smallness. To leave footprints in the sand of a beach that stretches miles in either direction does likewise. To tap into the silence and solitude of this natural wildness is good for the soul.
As a person of faith, I find the beauty of nature an invaluable way to step into the presence of the creator. Away from the hubbub of daily life, there is time to offer up simple prayers of gratitude - to breathe slowly and thankfully. To stop and listen to the song of a blackbird or the plaintive call of a curlew, but to also take stock of our own inner voice, and to set it into the context of a much bigger picture than our personal needs, desires and anxieties. To simply be, rather than constantly doing.
Joy and love can truly be born in effortless delight if we allow ourselves time to rest.
My weekly posts on life, travel, faith and moving more slowly in 2024 are available for free. If you like what you see please subscribe and also share with other readers. Thank you!