A time to heal...

To every thing (turn turn turn) there is a season (turn turn turn) and a time to every purpose under the heaven...

~Ecclesiastes 3 (and also one of my favorite tunes by The Birds)

The past month during my (unintentional!) silence, our little family has taken some much needed time away from big city life to focus on things like healing (v. 3), dancing and laughing (4), and mending (7). It's been a dream, really. A lovely, sunny Floridian dream! A free, available house, thanks to family, and flexibility in Dan's job has allowed us to be down here for nearly a month.

I hit that point in New York back in January (during my sick sick sick phase) when I just couldn't do it anymore. I didn't know what to do about it -- usually there isn't anything to do -- but knew we had do something. Otherwise I would unravel, body, mind, spirit. I needed sun. A slower pace. Less sirens. The stress was taking such a toll on my recovering body, on all of us, really, that we decided to wait for the results of my January MRI, making sure it was stable and positive, then began hatching our plan.

And so here we are, in beautiful southwest Florida! I have to say, it was once of the best possible decisions we could have made. Sunshine does wonders, people! Miles is having the time of his life, in his element outside in the dirt, swimming, collecting shells at the beach; Dan works out on the patio every day to the sound of chirping birds; and I feel calmer, stronger, and better than I have in a long time.  

There is so much to say. Too much. I could go on and on about the weather and the friendly people and about what daily walks on the beach does to the soul...and maybe I will soon. After I finish soaking up these last few precious of moments of warmth and peace before heading back up north, which is happening way too soon. So for now, pictures!

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