For the first time in five years, I am going to take a few days “off” from my full time position as wife and mother. I will direct my energies towards exploring nature, the concept of privacy, my own thoughts and the notion of sleeping until my overworked, battered body is ready to arise. I am gushing with excitement and honestly, feel a tad naughty. And a bit guilty.

This will be a much needed break from the routine of daily life; a break from the constant refereeing of feuding siblings and the endless stream domestic work. A chance to simply re-group, re-new and re-emerge--- full of faith and optimism.

Some of us are fortunate enough to squeeze some daily time off; others have weekly “escapes” and other women must wait even longer before they can schedule a proper getaway. I am one of those women and my “retreat” will taste that much sweeter as a result.

Whether we work outside the home, from the home or dedicate our lives solely to our families, we could all benefit from a flight away from the nest now and then. This time we spend alone in the silence of our own minds and listening to our beating hearts, keeps us "in check" and reaffirms our sense of self--- something that oftentimes gets lost in the daily shuffle of parenting and partnering. By investing time in our own mental health, we’re able to refuel for the next round of “absorption” that results from raising children in today's chaotic world.

In order to put everything in our hectic lives into perspective and truly appreciate what we have, we need to "check out" for a bit. From such an occasional distance, we can accomplish feeling immense gratitude.

And, ideally return empowered to once again, take on the world.