If someone surprised you and said, ‘Today we will make our great escape.’ How would it make you feel? Would you be frightened, excited, nervous or suspicious? Would you run about wildly or would you sit quietly and map out your escape route? What would you take? A ladder? A suitcase? A story? What would you like to escape from…?

Sometimes the world around us can fill our hearts with all sorts of problems. Perhaps you might find yourself worrying about the world around you. Especially now. It’s hard not to when we see all sorts of bad things happening on the news.

We can’t always fix the problems around us. But we can plan a great escape. Lately I’ve been walking. I like to walk when it’s cold, when the air bites my face. When I walk, my mind wanders too.

During the recent covid shutdowns, I’ve been escaping into the land of my imagination. I like to imagine that I have a cloud in my heart. The cloud carries my memories and my feelings, stories, hopes, fears and thoughts. When I need to take a break, I let the cloud out. It expands in the room. When this happens, I am in another world. I return refreshed, somehow filled with new energy.

Do you like walking too? Perhaps you like painting or drawing, singing or building? Let your mind take you on a journey. Take your ladder, your suitcase or your imaginary map. See where you end up…