Free to Fly

I’ve lived in this town my whole life, and most of the time that’s fine with me. But in late fall when the sky fills with bird migrating south for the winter, traveling thousands of miles, I get homesick for places I’ve never been. Places like the moors in England, beaches in New Zealand, castles in Wales, pyramids in Egypt, or the fjords in Norway. Or even places that are closer – the beaches in Florida and the mountains in Colorado. Sometimes, I feel as if I could fly with them as I sit inside, watching them take their flights. Where would I go first? I closed my eyes and began to dream. Would I go see Machu Picchu or the Amazon? Perhaps I’d go there first and then fly on to the pyramids of Egypt and the green hills of New Zealand.

Sighing, I opened my eyes and gasped. I could see myself! I had my face tilted up towards the sunlight filtering in the window. But how? I wondered. Looking trepidly down at my still body, hesitating for just a moment. But freedom was too close. I soared up and thought hard about where I wanted to go. And as suddenly as I was thinking, I was there – at the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland. The majestic view awed but I wanted more. Castles in Wales, cathedrals in France, canals of Venice all flew by – view after view, place after place I went to. Everywhere that I wanted to see; that I had dreamed of visiting since I was a little girl.

Suddenly, I felt my body jerk. Where am I? My mind began to fog, thinking became harder. I closed my eyes and imagined my yellow house with the blue shutters and red door. Opening my eyes, I realized I was at another house that looked just like mine. So I closed them again and added in the sleepy town, with the library and coffee shop and school. Finally, I felt that I was at my house. I went back in and looked down at the girl lying on the floor.

It wasn’t as if she was anything special to look at. Average height and weight with brown hair and brown eyes. It was her kindness that most people remembered about her. I hovered above my physical body and wondered how I was to get back in? I closed my eyes again, trying to image being back in the body, prisoned and wanting to go and look at the places again. To follow the birds. I don’t want to be trapped, I thought. I want to stay free and see everything. I began floating back towards the door when I saw it opening.

Seeing the body on the floor, my mom rushed in and began screaming. Dad followed and moved her out of the way, beginning CPR on my body. I realized then that my body wasn’t breathing – that when I had gone to travel, no one was caring for my body. Paramedics arrived and they sent an electrical shock to my heart. I slammed back into my body, taking a shaky breath. They all sighed, relieved that I was fine. They began prepping me for the ride. I looked over at my parents and smiled.

“I saw so many beautiful places. Can’t we travel to them?” I whispered. They looked at each other and smiled sadly.

“Of course, sweetie. As soon as you’re better.” Mom patted my hand.

“Where do you want to go first?” Dad asked.

“The Cliffs of Moher. They are spectacular.” I smiled and closed my eyes. Thinking of the cliffs, I opened my eyes. I was back and the cliffs were spectacular.

It was only then that I realized I could travel forever with the birds – so alive – even as my physical body died.