Chain-link Retreat

For 30 minutes every Saturday morning this is my view. At first glance it doesn't look like much. Yes, it is the backside of a business. Its where my son goes for drum lessons. You're probably thinking, "Matt, you've lost it. Why I am I looking at the back of a fenced in building?"

If you look a bit more closely you'll see some trees. Those trees are part of a ponding basin. Based on the time of year, that ponding basin is home to 60 - 100 geese of all ages. It's also home to many beautiful trees, which are the home to thousands of birds.

Every Saturday morning when my son heads inside to pound away at his drums (which he does a pretty awesome job of), I set up my camping chair and soak up the warm sun (or cool weather and overcast skies in the fall and winter), and enjoy the breeze and sounds of geese in the water and thousands of birds chattering away at each other.

Sometimes I read. Sometimes I chat with other parents who are walking their own kids into their lessons (some of them have remarked that they need to join me!). Sometimes I call friends who have been on my heart, or who I realize I haven't connected with for some time. Many times I enjoy a 30 minute snooze.

No apps. No social media. No noise.

This fenced in, black asphalt parking lot is one of the most relaxing moments of my week. Its a weekly retreat - an escape - from the hustle and bustle of my life.

I'm convinced that with the right perspective we can find moments of rejuvenation and peace in the most unlikely of places, even if that place is surrounded by cardboard boxes and chain-link fencing.