And breathe.....

Our stay over the holidays came later than usual this year. Christmas had already passed, the New Year was a day or two old, and we arrived to a quiet that seemed to have settled over Jericho.

As I nipped to the shop at the end of the road for some groceries and treats, I looked back at our street. A bright full moon hung over it, joining the season’s illuminations in the restaurants and cafés. It was a beautiful scene — perhaps one for a future Christmas card.

The moon was extraordinary — though my iPhone photo doesn’t do it justice — and I found myself soaking it all in for quite some time. Eventually I realised I hadn’t had to move for passers-by, and it struck me how few people were out and about. The cafés and restaurants lacked their usual buzz. Maybe the owners, too, were grateful for a moment’s pause after the silly season.

For me, this represented all we needed.

It had been a busy time, and unusually I’d worked between Christmas and New Year. The time had come to rest and draw breath — an Oxford sabbath.

Observatory Retreat is a haven for us, and for that reason, spaces to rest and be renewed have been intentionally designed into it. Each of our family members has a favourite spot — some of them hotly contested — but whether it’s the end of a busy day or a busy season, there is always a place to come, rest, and breathe.

We all live busy lives, and Oxford, in its own way, is a busy and relentless city. But it is also a beautiful one, and it’s always good when we find moments of rest and wonder in contrast to the relentless pace of modern life.