Serenity Among The Clouds...

I recently found myself 35,000 feet above the ground on a plane, flying back home. I suddenly realized that being on a plane is one of my favorite places to be! Why?!? Because sitting there...chair reclined...Jack Johnson or Jason Mraz or Duffy pumping through my ipod...I am completely alone. Not to sound like a loner by any means, but there is a certain appeal to being alone, figuratively speaking. Realistically, I was surrounded by 150 strangers. However, the keyword in that sentence is "strangers"! That is what makes me alone.

When I am in the sky, there is not a soul in the world that can get ahold of me. It does not matter what kind of chaos is going on down below, I am completely immune. I happen to be a texting fiend. It does not matter what is going on...except for church, I am always texting. ALWAYS! In fact, when I am on the ground, I feel completely naked if I leave the house and forget my phone. It's basically sheer panic and I don't know what I will do. What if someone needs me? What if I have to call my girls to tell them about the major sale going on? It's just not cool. Unfortunately I am one that absolutely can NOT imagine life before cell phones!

So...here's the deal...when I am on a plane, 35,000 feet above the ground...I don't care that I don't have access to my phone. I don't panic. I don't freak out. I don't lose sleep! In fact, the serenity I feel is undeniable. Have you ever been on a plane, sat in the window seat, and actually took the time to look out the window?!? I mean SERIOUSLY looked out the window? Everytime I fly, I request the window seat. Peering through those tiny window panes, I am thoroughly awed and amazed at the never-ending sky. I can stare at it for hours, and my level of amazement only increases. There are only 2 things that can happen in a plane...the unthinkable can happen, and you can crash. OR...you can sit there being served and relaxing while literally floating above the clouds. There is nothing but piercing blue skies above and pure white clouds below. You are trapped between two levels of miraculous creations placed there specifically for you and me.

My thoughts are their clearest when I'm on a plane. There is nothing going on in the background to distract me. There is nothing that I can do besides relax and explore those thoughts. I can make no excuses...there is no laundry or cleaning to be done...there is no email to return...there are no voicemails to respond to. To me...THAT is pure serenity! I typically imagine bouncing on the clouds as if they were a huge trampoline. I try to picture the people in the cities below, wonder what they are doing and the stresses they are dealing with. Then we pass over land that has not been developed...the vast desert or mountain range...and again I am taken aback by the miraculous beauty. When I witness, with my very own eyes, the beauty of my surroundings, I am overwhelmed with love and gratitude. I realize that earth is a gift; airplanes are a gift; people are a gift and my life is a ginormous gift!

Wow...suddenly I am able to see the big picture and the little things quickly lose significance. That is an amazing feeling. Life is peaceful in the sky. I decided that although I have my serenity in the clouds, I never would be able to appreciate it without the struggles. ***LIVING...LOVING...DREAMING...HOPING***

That is how I want to live my life. To me, living means loving as well as losing. It means dreaming as well as having nightmares. It means hoping as well as being disappointed. Happy living is much more meaningful and poignant when I have something to compare it to. It is something I cling onto when I have gone through situations that have caused me to lose it temporarily. And knowing that based on my own decisions, it truly can be only temporary, makes me feel extremely serene and peaceful.

P.S...these pics are ones I actually snapped while on the plane. LOVE THEM!!! Hope you do too...