WINGS
While the idea of jumping off a cliff to see if I can sprout wings doesn’t normally sit well with me, when it came time to zipline with my teen-aged daughter, I didn’t want to chicken out. The chance to do something bigger than our daily lives was too important. I needed to find my inner circus acrobat and fly through the air with the greatest of ease.
My tight throat and poker-face both dissolved once we learned that ziplining would start with a short, beginner step. We strapped on what seemed like 20 pounds of harness and reviewed the safety features of the cabling. Clearly, this was an attachment I could trust. After detailed instructions on how to hold on and only a little bit of white-knuckling, I lept. Seconds later, that baby step turned into exhilaration. I was in control and sailing through azure blue. Four more zips and we were soon to conquer the biggest zipline in Texas. By then, jumping was pure joy. We were birds on wing, spirits free, grateful for the magnificent expansiveness of soaring.
In some ways, therapy is a bit like ziplining. By deeply respecting our needs and concerns first, we can then safely lean into realms of exploration. And, as a new sense of Self emerges, opportunities to fully embrace the qualities of life we seek become possible.
Wishing you many days of joyful jumping,
Marie Walker, Ph.D.