Within all of us resides our inner child, even if it is buried deep within.  On a daily basis our inner child is replaced with a sophisticated, mature, serious, task-oriented person and often the realm of our young spirited desires are set aside, repressed and lacking it’s proper place within our conscious behavior.

On this Sabbath day, I asked who makes the rules?  My inner child was bursting at the seams and the need to relive my childhood glory days resurrected itself from the land of the lost.  Yours truly, decided to walk to the park and consume the simple amusements of what it had to offer.

Tucked away in Downtown Phoenix, families gathered to spend an exquisite afternoon outdoors.  The background was comprised of children’s laugher, chirping birds, skateboards and overall activeness brought upon by pure, simple pleasure.  Blurring into the crowded park, I humbly located an open swing and decided to insert myself into the amusement and give into my inner child.

Squeezing my adult sized derrière onto the swing strap, I gave myself a good push from the ground and was instantly transported to memories of my childhood.  Closing my eyes, I allowed my legs to sweep me back and forth, higher and higher.  I could feel the sunlight kissing my face and the wind whispering in my ear.   As I swayed up and down, I found my rhythm and reminisced on how easy things used to be as a child.  Rather than swinging myself back and forth, I realized that as a child, we have someone pushing us, guiding us in the motion of the swing and there to catch us as we jump off.  Now, I found myself propelling independently, grasping to the support of the chains and with each fluctuating motion, checking my footing for the ground beneath me.  I couldn’t help but make a connection between a swing and life.

A swing is something that is suspended from above.  As human beings on this earth, we are connected and suspended to something above, a higher power.  In order to properly utilize the swing, one must propel themselves, work to get higher and higher with each motion.   From there, you must continue to utilize your power and strength to continue the rhythm, much like the pace of life.  Up and down you go, at times going fast and at times going slow, similar to the ebbs and flows that life brings about.  Then suddenly your body becomes too tired and you feel the need to jump off.  Sometimes we pump a little harder and a little longer and other times we know when the accurate time to let go of what suspends us and stop the swaying motion; resembling living and dying.

The truth is, everyone swings at a different pace and the scope of how we swing is based on the person itself.  But, just like swinging, life is full of up’s and downs, you must work to get higher and higher and always remember what suspends you, while hanging on tightly in order for the sun to kiss your face, the wind to whisper in your ear and appreciate the motions that is life.

Love,

Britt x