The Book of Esther

Shortly after I booked my final reservations for the summer retreat in the monastery, I cracked open a book by Esther de Waal. Here's what she wrote:

• "If we fail to find the time to stand back, to give ourselves a break, a breathing space, we are in danger of failing to be fully alive, or to enjoy that fullness of life for which we were created. The reasons for this will vary. At one end of the scale many people today seem to be busier and living under greater stress than ever before. In contrast, at the other end of the scale are those who have too little to do, whose lives are empty, without any sense of purpose and direction, and for whom the danger lies in drifting into lethargy or worse still into quiet despair.... We need to hear again Christ's very simple command: 'Come and see.' I guess that we all know only too well how easily, and often how imperceptibly, the lens with which we view the world can become dull and lifeless. We need to take time to adjust the focus, to re-focus and ask ourselves if we might not have a distorting lens."