Friday, April 20, 2012
Let's go fly a kite
I have the song from Mary Poppins running through my head: "Let's go fly a kite, up to the highest heights. Let's go fly a kite and send it soaring."
This afternoon was the perfect day to fly kites. Thank goodness the Easter Bunny dropped 3 in baskets this year. Maya and Riley are quite the pros. Riley is very good at saving the kite during wild dips and dives. Maya likes to be the chaser. Running after when it crashes to the ground and joyfully jumping into the air and lifting it back up. Until they got bored and then Riley would "accidently" drop the handle or Maya would get twisted in the line. What do you expect, they are only 3 1/2.
I think flying kites is like raising children. On a smooth day, there isn't much activity to have to worry about. When the winds kick up and blow, it makes for a much more interesting ride. You have to hold on tightly to the handle and give it solid support. You have to make sure the string is long enough to include support and has enough leverage to let the beauty of the kite and all of its colors soar. You must be good at anticipating dips and dives and (hopefully) be good at recovery. But, in the event they fall, you must be there to pick up the pieces and lift it back up.
As parents sometimes we "accidentally" drop the handle on our children. Some times they dip and dive. Sometimes they get twisted in the line.
I hope my handle on life provides a solid foundation for my kids. I hope the support line is full of family, friends, faith, values, morals, fun and adventure. I hope at the other end they soar.
As Maya put it today "this is my best day." Thank you Easter Bunny for today's simple pleasure! BIG TREASURE!
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Wow. I just recently finished a book that had an amazing ending. It fits perfectly with your blog. It goes like this: "Watching them reminded me of something my grandfather had said a long time ago when he took four little boys out to the hayfield with four new dime-store kites. He caught me keeping mine low--just letting it float up a few feet and then pulling it back, so it wouldn't get loose or tangle in a tree. He came across the field and knelt down next to me and said something I'd carried with me all my life but never taken to heart until I stood there watching Birdie, her blue eyes wide as she finally let go of her kite.
ReplyDelete"A kite is like a man's life," my granddad had said as I weighed the choice between letting that kite soar and holding it down. "No matter how much he tries, he can't make it more than a piece of paper and a ball of twine, on his own. He's got to give it over to something bigger, let the Good Lord breathe into it. After that, he just has to do two things--turn his eyes toward heaven and keep hold of the string."