First Baptist Church of Herndon

The Great Escape

Linda Soller | Jul 18, 2022

For years I wondered how I would feel about our family vacation once I retired and no longer saw vacation as an escape from work. Now I know, it is a great escape! Extensive travel to exotic destinations was never in the cards for me. I am more the long weekend not too far from home kind of person. But the family vacation each summer offered me a chance to get away for a whole two weeks, to a familiar house, at a familiar beach with people I love dearly. It has always been the perfect escape for me. And yes, we do realize how fortunate we are that we get along so well and can stand to be together so long. Don’t tell anyone, but we actually look forward to it. 

I looked up the word escape and it means just what you think, to break away from something, like work. 

So technically I can’t claim that anymore. However, there is something to be said from escaping the routine of one’s life. New surroundings, new encounters, and like magic we have an opportunity to see and experience our days differently. What makes our family escape so special is our chance to be together with just enough familiarity to be comfortable, and just enough of the unexpected to keep us alert. There is much laughing, eating, and reading. We each explore our own avenues of interest while embracing our time to catch up with each other. 

We were able to maintain our family vacation during the pandemic which only made it more special. It was the glue that continued to hold our family together despite the challenges of the world. It was a tradition strong enough to connect us in a world which felt like it was pulling apart. It’s not a fancy place we rent. Our surroundings are very quiet. We rarely stray far from each other. But for us it is the great escape.

Be the love in the world  :o)