You know how a child asks to push them faster on the swings? They seem so fearless in their joy of reaching new heights and never question how high they should go…It reminded me of the other day. I was with my daughter in law and her two children and we also brought my nine month old grand-daughter along in the stroller. My daughter in law placed her in the infant swing and her face lit up like a happy pumpkin. Driving back home, my four year old grand-daughter told me, “Gramma, Ella loves to swing, and she wasn’t afraid.” “I know,” I replied, “she was happy because the wind felt good and she was looking all around.” I told her, “everyone loves to swing.” “Do you like to swing Gramma?” “Oh yes, that was my favorite thing to do when I was a little girl.” “Why Gramma?” “Well, because I also loved the wind on my face, and in my hair, and I loved feeling like I was getting closer to the sky, the clouds and the birds.” “Oh” she replied. Then she was quiet for a few moments. “Azumi,” I said, “what are you thinking?” She answered, “Gramma, you didn’t swing today. Don’t you want to get closer to the sky anymore?” That made me smile, and I realized I did want to sit on a park swing again, and look up at the sky and feel the wind in my hair and brush against my cheeks…and so the next day we went back to the park, and we both sat on our own swings and we looked up at the sky and felt the wind on our faces, and it was so soothing, and we couldn’t stop smiling.
It was a beautiful moment, that we can all use in our lives today. Be fearless again, and find your swing and get ready to touch the sky. Let your little girl come out and play without worrying about our bills and deadlines, and swing with your children again. Look up at the sky and let nature heal your soul once more the way it did when we were all young.
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