Howdy, ya’ll! As I sit at the airport waiting for a flight back to, what is, my “other home”, I watch the tide of people ebb in and out of the terminal. It’s quite beautiful actually: I love people watching. Everyone seems to be beautiful in their own distinct way yet at times, others dress like a certain group to feel included, valued, dare I say… to not feel alone. The tide sometimes comes in full force here at the terminal, and then begins to gently fall back. Although the airport is a solid and stable structure, the humans within it are ever-impermanent. Always walking, maybe sitting for a short time, and then leaving. If one were to think about the airport itself, even IT is changing This particular airport had a restaurant move inside it from the last time I was here 7 months ago, the checkpoint is new and large, and the comfortability and design of the seats changes as well.
I’m leaving one home for another and I find it incredibly difficult to LET GO, but even this airport boasts the power of impermanence and the beauty of INDEPENDENCE. What does independence mean? Shall we ponder on this day that America prides itself on obtaining freedom? I’ll give you a hint: one pertinent definition was included in that latter sentence!
As I watch others, including myself, decked in our favorite red, white, and blue… I remember we are all FREE. No, I’m not talking about a BOGO special, I’m talking about the freedom to choose… free to move, free to breathe, free to think, free to love, free to be, free to do, and there are a hundred other actions I could tack on. Just thinking about all of this is quite… yup, I’m going to say it… LIBERATING. Everyone here ebbing and flowing is free to leave or stay for however long they choose. Free to take on life and its challenges in whatever way each individual sees fit, whether it’s choosing NOT to move OR choosing to move. People are free to choose to feel a certain way and think a certain way.
Another definition of INDEPENDENCE is free from another’s control. I can’t stop any of these people here from talking to one another (though I may be craving quite time) nor can I make them stay or tell them what to do, think, or feel. They just are. They choose. Every single one of them. On the other hand, I’m free to think, feel, and act the way that I want to. That’s all I can do. I can choose to run when I feel anxious and eat healthy (or eat vanilla ice cream) when I feel crummy. I can choose to not let one small thing that didn’t go my way ruin my day, week, or life. I can let a happy feeling infiltrate my day and I can choose to pay it forward.
If we all chose to think, feel, and be the way we wanted, and LET GO and understood that others are trying to do the same, what would the world look like? What would our interactions with our friends and family look like? What would our own life look like? How could we honor others so that they could honor us in return?
The art of letting go and being free is sometimes a life long journey (battle?), but we can start today. We can try every day. We can let go of our aches and pains and choose to embrace what makes us content, happy or find our own inner stability. We can get comfie with the ebb and flow of people and of life (cuz we KNOW it’s not always sunshine and adorable rainbows!).
Happy Freedom Day :)
