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Good morning.
Whenever I hear people talking about moving to somewhere new the words of an old friend come to mind: ‘You can’t live on a view’. I know what she meant, even though I’d still like to argue with her sometimes. It’s easy to get seduced by an amazing view and to be fooled into thinking that living within sight of it each day will bring you happiness.
Once, years ago, I visited the New York apartment of someone with the most amazing view of New York harbour and the Statue of Liberty. He lived in a former butter packing factory in downtown Manhattan. Nothing on the outside of this dull brick building prepared you for the view from his large and very fashionable lounge. It almost literally took my breath away. I could easily imagine myself in the opening sequence of a Woody Allen film as I looked out on that view.
As we grow older, our priorities about the importance of a view usually change. We begin to realise that a striking view comes with hidden costs. For instance, to benefit from a panorama of beautiful countryside probably means being some distance away from things like good roads, shops, doctors, pubs, churches and other places that are increasingly handy in life.
The closer we get to the end of our lives, the more we may value a view that allows us to watch the world going by. A glimpse of the care home corridor from your room means you can see staff and visitors, and pass the time of day with them.God of vast landscapes and small, intimate spaces,help us to find you in the views we see todayand to be impressed by the thingsthat matter most to you.Amen