I was in a bit of a frenzy recently trying to squeeze in a quick trip to The Glass Studio on Cape Cod in Sandwich, Mass., to have a gift I purchased for a friend’s newborn last April engraved with the baby’s name, birthdate — all the essential information. My plan was to zip there and back during “off” hours to avoid the inevitable summer traffic that stalls the highway to and from the Cape.

The Glass Studio is located on Route 6A, one of the country’s most scenic byways; but I was on a mission, so I decided to stick to the four-lane highway that runs parallel to Route 6A, then cut across to the studio. In my haste, I misjudged the location and ended up hitting 6A at a more eastern point than I intended, which left me backtracking to the gallery along a portion of the roadway I hadn’t traveled in quite a while.

As I rounded a curve headed west, I recognized the familiar façade of the Giving Tree Gallery, a shop I once frequented regularly to peruse work by local artisans and to wander through the meditation garden that winds through a bamboo stand and along a marsh before crossing back toward the studio via a ropewalk bridge.

Time stopped. And so did I.

It had been at least a decade since I last strolled through the garden, but little had changed. Tension left my shoulders. My breathing became more relaxed. And the racing “gotta get there” thoughts circling through my mind quieted. I walked slowly, taking in the scenery and savoring the gentle breeze.

On the way back to my car, I stopped into the gallery, where I discovered a simple Alex and Ani bracelet designed to symbolize peace, harmony and balance. I wear the bracelet almost all the time so when, even in the frenzy of daily living, I catch a glimpse of it on my wrist and remember the tranquility I felt strolling through the Giving Tree Gallery meditation garden.

— Lisa Matte, editor in chief