Outside

“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. As longs as this exists, and it certainly always will, I know that then there will always be comfort for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances may be. And I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles.” - Anne Frank

" Just out of a hospital, on furlough from World War 2, I took a rowboat out on a glacial lake in Switzerland. I rowed far from shore, took in the oars, laid myself down under the seat and just drifted for hours. The only sight I saw was the blue, almost cloudless sky. The only sounds I heard were the gentle slappings of water against the hull and the tinklings of cowbells from the mountainsides that cradled the lake. God was giving me a tiny hint of what peace in Heaven is like.

Today, when life's pace gets too frantic, I draw upon the memory of that time and that place. I use it to calm myself- to bless and heal.

You have memories like this too. Stop now. This instant. Choose one that still moves you. Relive it intensely. See, hear, smell, taste, touch...Remember!"

- Manuel Almada