Why the Sublime Can Heal Our Society and Ourselves
An Ennobling Family Visit to a Nature-Immersive Farm Stay by the Beach
Gracious reader,
Life can at times be wearisome and grating, wearing us down to a breaking point. This is why I advocate for retreats into nature to restore our emotional and spiritual reserves. Such retreats are essential during challenging seasons and in general to “sharpen the saw” and be our best selves.
Our family recently had the chance to get away to a nature-immersive farmstead in lower Michigan, just minutes from the beach, and it was just what the doctor ordered. We lodged for a couple of days in Creekside Cottage at Goldberry Woods—A Modern Farm Resort, a 30-acre organic farm that felt like being transported into a different world. The owners, fans of The Lord of the Rings, named the farmstead after Goldberry, a character who epitomizes Mother Earth and hospitality.
And what a fabulous tribute to its namesake it is! A delightful farm-to-table breakfast is a perfect start to a day of adventures. They offer a variety of experiences, including in-house yoga and wellness classes, foraging tours, garden tours, and even sandcastle building on the beach with a professional sand sculptor.
Goldberry Woods can accommodate up to 50 guests with its 8-bedroom Inn, 3-4 bedroom cottages, and vintage campers, making it ideal for family reunions, corporate or wellness retreats, small weddings, and elopements. As one of the top-rated properties in the state and part of Select Registry, it’s less than 25 minutes from Indiana Dunes National Park. The surrounding area offers excellent hiking, beaches, dunes, shops, small towns, farmers markets, fruit picking, excellent restaurants, wineries, breweries, and distilleries.
Upon arrival at our cottage, we were greeted with local wines and an array of cheese, meats, and vegetables from the Goldberry Woods garden. The following morning, I led my children—Percival James and Sophia Margaux—on a walk to explore the garden for ourselves. There is so much to explore between the organic farm, woods, river, trails, and nearby beach, especially perfect for enjoying magnificent sunsets. We harvested a bounty for our breakfast that day: peppers, malabar (a delicious spinach-like vegetable), cucamelons (a cucumber shaped like a tiny melon), fresh herbs, and much more. We also visited the Goldberry Woods aviary, greeting the birds and collecting eggs from ducks, chickens, and quail. We made an absolute feast! Here is a video overview of our visit: Instagram Video.
Why the Sublime?
Nineteenth-century German philosopher Immanuel Kant wrote, “Two things fill the mind with ever-new and increasing admiration and awe, the more often and steadily we reflect upon them: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me.” This sentiment echoes an idea articulated by 17th-century French philosopher Blaise Pascal: man is a finite being between two infinities.
The two infinities we straddle are those above us and those within us—the macroscopic universe around us and the microscopic universe within us—neither of which we have even begun to understand. Encountering the sublime is more than just encountering something pretty; it’s a powerful displacement of our sense of self that helps put into perspective the petty things in life that wear us down.
Our family makes it a practice to encounter the sublime regularly. We take awe walks, sometimes with a magnifying glass, and create a culture of curiosity in our home, ensuring we get “a daily dose of wonder”—contemplating ideas or exploring new intellectual territory that reminds us of how big the world is and how small we are in comparison. These practices require effort, as the tyranny of the urgent often takes precedence over these soul-nourishing activities. But the more we practice them, the more gracious we become to ourselves, one another, and the world around us.
In the final chapter of my book, The Soul of Civility: Timeless Principles to Heal Society and Ourselves, I write about how we’ve misplaced our meaning in soul-corroding political disputes and need to recover the sublime in our lives to fill us up and help us do life better together. I explain how encountering the sublime can elevate our perspectives, heal our souls, and give us the inner strength and grace necessary to live harmoniously.
I also explore the concept of "The Mellifluous Echo of the Magnanimous Soul." Often, we hear stories of generational trauma causing tragic outcomes. Less frequently do we hear stories of extraordinary individuals—magnanimous souls—producing positive consequences across time and place. These individuals, through their strength and benevolence, create a virtuous cycle that benefits successive generations. My grandmother epitomized this type of life.
Finding moments of awe, wonder, transcendence, and the sublime—as we did at Goldberry Woods and through long walks on the beach—can fill our souls, making us more magnanimous, other-oriented, and better equipped to make the world a less savage and more gentle place for us all to live in.
Notes from the book tour:
It’s an exciting week at Civic Renaissance HQ— my book, The Soul of Civility launched in UK on August 5!
National Conference for State Legislatures
It was wonderful to serve as a keynote speaker at the National Conference for State Legislatures, which brought together 5,500 legislators and leaders from across the globe to convene and discuss the most pressing challenges of our time, including: How might we flourish across deep differences?
I thoroughly enjoyed meeting many of the leaders in the audience at the book signing after my talk, including members of parliament from Kenya, Wales, and Canada, as well as state representatives from Hawaii to Pennsylvania.
Looking ahead:
Our baby boy is set to arrive somewhere around Sept 15th, so I am planning to take some time off—but have no fear. I’ve lined up some excellent writers to help infuse your life with beauty, goodness, and truth—and to help you think more clearly about our day by reviving the wisdom of the past!
November 12- Greater Muncie Chamber of Commerce, Muncie, IN
November 14- Berry College, Mt. Berry, GA
November 19- Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, MI
In the news:
Thanks so much to ABC Channel6, WRTV and ABC for the conversation about how civility and basic respect for personhood are the antidotes to our crisis of division — recorded from my front porch! Click here to watch!
How to Be a Better Human Podcast: I loved talking with Chris Duffy on his excellent TED podcast about How to be civil even if you disagree (w/ Alexandra Hudson)
TIME Magazine— What Emily Post and Daniel of Beccles Can Teach Us About Civility Today
Thank you for being part of our Civic Renaissance community!
Love the reference to "awe" walks for reconnecting with the natural wonder around us everywhere, all the time if we just look more closely I especially, enjoyed the winding walkway picture...life is like that.
Thank you ,Alexandra, for your insight and book "The Soul of Civility". So needed in our current dialogue.
Ted,
Asheville, NC