I wonder if you can imagine what went on in my head that day in the car—you had just turned fourteen years old and I was driving you to school. You said, “I’ve decided I want to fly.”
Allowing a slight pause before responding allowed a few thoughts to process in my head. I knew you always wanted to fly—like actually fly the way your beloved birds can fly and the way you could too— when you were sound asleep and dreaming. I knew you understood that you do not have hollow bones, wings, or feathers. I also could tell from the (admittedly) small amount of context that you did not mean “fly in an airplane” which you had done plenty by that age.
I calmly replied: “Oh, really? How do you mean?” That’s when the Flying Trapeze brochure came out of your backpack and a dramatic reading of all the offerings began. Apparently, there was a trapeze school “only” two and a half hours from us. “Only two and a half hours” is something only a non-driver would say when contemplating bi-monthly lessons, trapeze or otherwise.
You know what happened as well as I do. The answer was yes, after we had a family meeting with all of us and your dad, surprisingly, thought it was a great idea. He even offered to split the driving with me. To be honest, we did not think it would last past the summer… let alone seven years!
Your first lesson was over three hours long. You were decked out in your favorite leopard print leggings, your Schrödinger's cat tee shirt, and bright green socks. Your outfit alone instantly won over your instructor. Your focus, excitement, and determination made an impression too. Within ten minutes you had learned the knee hang and were swinging above my head, unfazed, your braids flying like happy streamers. Though you told me later your heart was racing, you did not let on that you were anything but existentially placid.
That was in May of 1999. In August, you performed in an exhibition. You did a cutaway and other tricks I never knew existed before. Fearless! Joyful!
You flew all the way through college and raised over $50,000 for charity with your amazing fundraising performances. My flying girl.
