Imagine what it was like for Americans waking up on the morning of July 5, 1776. After all their hardship, sacrifice and struggle they were finally free! I am so grateful for what these men, women and children endured to enable me to live in a free country.
But even though I live in America with freedoms other people around the world can only imagine, I haven't always felt free. There have been times in my life, especially when my son Will was very sick and near death that I didn't feel free at all. In fact, I felt trapped in a nightmare of unpredictability from which I couldn't awaken. There have been other times when because of my own choices I have felt buried beneath so much busyness and unnecessary responsibility, that I have felt I could not even breathe.
Thankfully I have been reminded time and again from the children in my life that our lives are not meant to be lived in bondage. We are meant to be free!
Will made this for me one day when I really needed to be reminded of my freedom. He was 7.
I know without a doubt that children are some of the most powerful teachers of our lives! When I take a moment to really be present with them and not think or worry about anything else, I open myself to the possibility of something magical happening. There have been so many times that I have witnessed a child say or do something so simple and so profound it has demonstrated that we are meant to be learning from each other. Just because they are little and have only been on this earth for a short time, doesn't mean that they don't know what's important. Their pure joy and ability to be present in the moment and express themselves honestly has inspired me many times to believe its okay to be me.
An example of this happened one evening at the dinner table a few days after I released my book, The Butterfly Knight, on Amazon. Our family was talking about how happy we were that this 2 year project was finally complete, when Will looked at me and said, "Mom, you need to make a t-shirt that says 'Trust your wings and be free!'" Joe and I looked at each other and were amazed at Will's understanding of the message in the book even though I had not read it to him or really talked to him much at all about the details other than the fact that it was about our family's journey together after he was born. His instinct told him it was about being free to be yourself.
Will's drawing of his t-shirt idea.
He said, "It needs to be a blue butterfly with gold coming off its wings, like its magic." Then he got up and drew it. These 6 words have made such an impact that I sign every book at my book signings with this message, and they have inspired t-shirt designs and our new art prints. Because of my journey with Will I have learned to be open to messages coming from the least likely places.
New art prints inspired by Will's message.
As you enter today I pray that you will be filled with the hope of our forefathers on July 5, 1776, and that this post will inspire you to release the truth that only you can bring into the world. Let freedom ring in your heart, trust your wings, and take that leap! Don't worry your wings are stronger than you think!