Flying High

I was driving down the road on a warm, Spring day recently with my windows rolled down. I wanted to feel the wind on my face and smell the wonderfully sweet scent of the flowers in the air. It was my ears, however, that were blessed with sweetness as I slowed down for a school zone. The laughter of dozens of children filled the air as they ran and played on the playground. I heard several of them yelling with delight as they swung on the swing set. With each pass they flew higher and higher. It brought a smile to my lips, a warmth to my heart, and a flood of memories to my mind.

I remembered being their age. Us boys would always give the girls a push and then jump in the empty swings next to them and try to catch up. With our legs pumping we would soon be soaring through the air. We laughed at the thrill of freedom, at the joy of flight, and at the feeling that at any moment we could zoom into the heavens. I remembered later being a young father and pushing my own children on the swings. Watching their happiness was a bit of Heaven itself. I remembered as well one time my five year old daughter saying, "You swing too, Daddy!" I was embarrassed at first but once I saw my feet headed towards the clouds again all those wonderful feelings of childhood came rushing back. I was flying high once more. After that I always swung with my kids no matter who was there to see me.

I think that sometimes we forget that we were meant to fly and we need the children to remind us. God didn’t put us in this world to sit and suffer with our feet in a mud puddle and our eyes on the ground. He wants us to fly higher and higher in love, joy, and wonderful oneness with Him. He wants our spirits to soar into Heaven while still here on Earth. And most of all He wants us to give a push skyward to anyone who needs it. May you love well and fly high always.

Joseph J. Mazzella joecool@wirefire.com