Summertime: long evenings, dinners al fresco, a glass of chilled wine, the fragrance of lavender in the garden and the sound of children laughing as they try to escape notice so they can play just a little longer. Few things are more universally cherished than the holidays.

They offer a well-deserved opportunity to rest, to do all the things we’ve long meant to do but never found the time for, to spend time with friends and family who live too far away to visit during the school year and perhaps to travel. But how can we ensure that this precious time is not only restful, but truly life-giving?