We began our July Fourth 10-day stay at Loyd Park with a bitter argument, fueled more by resentment and vulnerability than actual disagreement. It reminded us both of previous flare-ups we’ve had and how these events have the ability to completely derail an otherwise enjoyable camp-out. We finally found forgiveness by talking our way through the episode. One advantage of summer camping is there’s nowhere to escape. Leaving the comfy confines of the Airstream for a late-morning walk in the hot, humid weather is rather unappealing. So our physical proximity to one another was as much of a motivator for us to work things out as the sheer determination to patch things up.

Even after more than two decades, the life we’ve built together remains a shaky edifice, for we’ve constructed it using some inadequate materials we brought with us — childhood memories, painful self-doubts, fear of failure — as well as some we collected over time — unkind remarks, bruised egos, weaponized insults. Building a life this way is like building a house with inferior products. Eventually, some of the structure will need to be repaired or replaced. We’re grateful that we still have the ability to let down our defenses long enough to recognize how fractured we are and how much we need healing and wholeness and psychological safety.

We spent the better part of an hour “deconstructing” that part of our edifice that can be so debilitating, and we recognized — yet again — that clinging so fiercely to negative influences from the past is not only emotionally draining but also spiritually damaging.

We’ll undoubtedly have more unfortunate moments. But that morning, as we sat surrounded by our doggies amid the sun-dappled forest, we remembered why we invest so much of our precious time in Cloud 9. Because while we’re in this intimate space, we cannot avoid who we are or deny who we need to become.

Among our unexpected pleasures during our stay was discovering “Mary Berry’s Country House Secrets,” a four-episode series from 2017 that followed the English chef and baker as she met the current custodians of some of the UK’s most lavish estates. In each episode, she explored the gardens, kitchens, and private rooms, and celebrated the home’s heritage and legacy by producing a special recipe.

We suspect we’re interested in such shows because we know that our own “house” is a work in progress, and we’re inspired by the example of those whose hard work and devotion sustain these exceptional dwellings.