Earning Wings

Here’s this week’s reflection. I hope it resonates with you and ask that, if you enjoyed, please comment and share on your social media. Heartfelt thanks for all your support!

Keeping the light on for you,

Carol

My mother guides us to our airport gate, my 5-year old hand warm and safe in her firm grasp. Hallways and doorways appear as an endless, towering maze to my low-to-the-ground wide eyes. I marvel at how Mom knows where to go. Affable smiles from passers-by are reciprocated with Mom’s knowing winks. 

It is my maiden aviation voyage and I am dressed to the nines. My ensemble consists of a navy sailor dress with a white collar and red neckerchief. White tights, red patent leather shoes, white gloves, and white patent leather purse complete the look. In hindsight, I was a miniature, walking Old Glory; no surprise I had commanded so much attention. 

In the late 1960s, air travel was without TSA regulations, digital check-ins, or jetways to the door of the aircraft. Unlike today’s passenger chagrin, palpable excitement was in the air as happy, relaxed travelers milled about. A kaleidoscope of exotic destination posters and beautiful people, these were the days of smartly dressed air travel, and Mom took great care to ensure we fit in.  

Our short flight from Pittsburgh to Akron was just 30 minutes but seemed far longer and incredibly posh. The beverages and snacks provided were plentiful and delicious – at least to my youthful palate. As Mom regally sipped coffee, I stared out the window and felt a tad famous. Occasionally shifting in my seat to readjust my outfit, traveling with what seemed the upper crust meant I was on high alert to maintain my frock’s carefully pressed pleats. Mom and I grinned frequently at each other, soaking up the ambiance and mother-daughter time. While Dad remained home with my brothers to deal with any trouble they might find, we ladies soared high above all  earthly concerns. Headed to visit an Ohio aunt and her family, this trip also marked my first official girl’s weekend. 

The highlight of the trip occurred just prior to landing as a stewardess ceremoniously leaned down and presented me with the ultimate token of accomplishment – I had earned my wings! Proudly pinned to my dress, those golden pinions, complete with the airline’s insignia, transported me to Cloud Nine. Upon arrival, I floated down the steps toward the tarmac before Mom resumed her protective grip on my tiny hand and steered us toward baggage claim. 

Though specifics about the visit and the return trip home escape me now, that swift, luxurious, gravity defying plane ride across hundreds of miles was a big deal for this shy little girl and remains forever etched in her memory. Over the years, I would come to understand that this sweet memory represents my earliest experience of a deep, recurring theme.

We all have wings, of one variety or another, to earn throughout our lives. Some are intentional, such as educational aspirations, vocational expertise, or developing the unconditional love and tolerance of parenting. Other wings are earned unintentionally, as in navigating a serious illness, injustice or loss. And some represent rites of passage, like kids heading off to college. Regardless of the genre and resulting breadth of the wingspan, getting off the ground with forward motion is the hope. The wings we acquire on this journey provide the opportunity for new perspectives and the lift required for change. To truly soar, it is up to each of us to harness the power of whatever emotional heft we may have earned. 

Sometimes a portion of a route mandates time on the ground for physical or emotional respite, or a tarry at lower altitudes. Ground level is often restful and introspective. Lower altitudes provide better focus on the scenery around and below, making the ride from point A to point B even more enjoyable. While final havens are enticing, traveling there can also be part of the fun.  

As with other mementos, those petite golden wings from an airline no longer in existence, serve not only as  souvenir, but as reminder of a basic tenet of life: The keepsakes we gather from takeoff at birth to our final destination are lovely, but the cache of recollections acquired along the way are paramount and priceless.