Through the eyes of a child

I approached my boarding gate and saw that there were lots of children – some traveling with their parents, some traveling solo.  Of course, I was getting ready to board a flight that was going to Orlando; so lots of families were going to spend a few days at one of the theme parks….Disney being the most popular choice 🙂  Some travellers would dread getting on a flight with so many children – but not I.  Children always bring a new perspective and see things in a different way.  I was privileged to sit in front of a Mom and her two children – a boy and a girl….probably 5 or 6 years old.  It sounded like it was their first time flying where they were aware of what was going on (their first time being when they were infants or toddlers).  Listening to their excitement and their observations I couldn’t help but smile and even laugh a few times.  The little girl got to sit by the window during takeoff…..she was sooooo excited and when we were just a few feet off the ground, she proclaimed, “We’re flying….I’m flying!!!!”  She didn’t miss a thing – she was giggling and noticing everything on the ground.  A little while later I heard her exclaim to her mom, “Oh, Mom, it’s soooo beautiful!!”  Then they were excited to see the clouds and proclaimed which Disney character each cloud looked like.  Halfway through the flight, the little girl changed seats with her brother so he could sit by the window.  We began our descent and went through some clouds.  While we were in the clouds, he was stating, “I think it’s the most magical thing to be flying in the clouds!” Then they began discussing who they were going to visit first when they arrived at Disney World. The joy and excitement of these two children were very contagious and it was so much fun to experience my flight through the eyes of this brother and sister.  Yes, I had work to do….I had a book I needed to finish reading….I had a Zumba playlist to work on – all the deadlines and to-do lists that engulf my life as an adult and that, so often, cause me to miss out on the little, simple joys of life.  However, I put everything back in my carry-on and chose to just “be” in the moment and experience the flight with the wonder and awe of a child.

Tags: children, choices, simple