Sitting in the car at a red light, I looked across the way to see a small girl on the swings at the park, her legs pumping furiously, bright pink scarf trailing behind her and an expression of joy on her face. I immediately was transported back in time to happy childhood memories spent on the swingset at my family home. That was my place of pure joy.
In the summers I would head down to swing set armed with a drink, a snack, book, some music and spend most of the day there. I would listen to music and daydream about who I wanted to be, what I wanted to do with my life, where I wanted to travel, my hopes and dreams. My cat - Miss Priss - would hop into my lap often times and sit there happily in my lap while I would swing. She would pur and knead my quads for awhile and then settle in for a nap. After she woud tire, she would stand up, stretch and then gracefully jump from my lap while the swing was arced up and towards the bushes. I would take the time to stand up, stretch and pick wild raspberries from the bushes surrounding our swing set with my cat weaving in and out of my legs. I would also pick wild flowers - the violets were my favorites.
In fall I would enjoy the cooler weather and the touch-me-not's that were in abundance around the swing set. I was a beautiful view - I could see the entire hillside changing, going from green to blaze orange, yellow, fire engine red and all the wonderful colors that scream fall.
I would even swing in the winter time, bundled up in my snowsuit, my cheeks would get numb from the cold but there was just something so freeing about the feeling of swinging. The rhythm of swinging, the back and forth, the cadence, the motion. It was soothing, it was relaxing, it cleared my mind. It helped me feel free. I felt alive. I felt a feeling of joy. I felt complete joy, complete happiness. It was wonderful. I miss that feeling. I miss that feeling of unbridled joy. I wish I could get that back. I wish I could be that girl on the swing again. I wish I could get that feeling back.
In the summers I would head down to swing set armed with a drink, a snack, book, some music and spend most of the day there. I would listen to music and daydream about who I wanted to be, what I wanted to do with my life, where I wanted to travel, my hopes and dreams. My cat - Miss Priss - would hop into my lap often times and sit there happily in my lap while I would swing. She would pur and knead my quads for awhile and then settle in for a nap. After she woud tire, she would stand up, stretch and then gracefully jump from my lap while the swing was arced up and towards the bushes. I would take the time to stand up, stretch and pick wild raspberries from the bushes surrounding our swing set with my cat weaving in and out of my legs. I would also pick wild flowers - the violets were my favorites.
In fall I would enjoy the cooler weather and the touch-me-not's that were in abundance around the swing set. I was a beautiful view - I could see the entire hillside changing, going from green to blaze orange, yellow, fire engine red and all the wonderful colors that scream fall.
I would even swing in the winter time, bundled up in my snowsuit, my cheeks would get numb from the cold but there was just something so freeing about the feeling of swinging. The rhythm of swinging, the back and forth, the cadence, the motion. It was soothing, it was relaxing, it cleared my mind. It helped me feel free. I felt alive. I felt a feeling of joy. I felt complete joy, complete happiness. It was wonderful. I miss that feeling. I miss that feeling of unbridled joy. I wish I could get that back. I wish I could be that girl on the swing again. I wish I could get that feeling back.
