The Swing
by Robert Louis Stevenson
How do you like to go up in a swing, Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing Ever a child can do!
Up in the air and over the wall, Till I can see so wide,
Rivers and trees and cattle and all Over the countryside —
Till I look down on the garden green, Down on the roof so brown —
Up in the air I go flying again, Up in the air and down!
I don’t know about you, but I identify with Robert Louis Stevenson’s poem. As a child, there was nothing I loved more than to swing. The freedom of the wind blowing through my hair and the sun in my face is so fulfilling. For hours, I would swing and gaze up at the clouds passing by overhead. Animal shapes, signs, and symbols would appear to me in the shapes of the clouds.
My goal was to swing so high that I would go all the way around and over the top of the swing set. Fortunately, for me, I never did, but I sure did beg my father to push me so high that I could touch the sky.
Swinging brings to mind just how small I am in comparison to the grand universe around me. Swinging also taught me that the world is full of endless possibilities and I could be and do anything I wanted in life.
The rhythm, movement, and freedom of swinging is a gift that I continue to practice today to unwind, relax, release the stress of my day, and to remember how grand and precious life is. But most of all, I swing to nurture the bond I have with my children and reconnect with my inner child.
When pregnant, I would swing everyday to daydream of what life would be like once my baby came into the world. Today, I spend hours pushing my girls so high so they can try to touch the sky. I often ask them, “Do you want me to push you high or fast?” I laugh when they answer.
I invite you to allow your small child to straddle you in a swing, lay his or her head against your chest, and then swing as high as you possibly and safely can. Talk, love, share, connect, laugh, enjoy the moment, and the magnificent would around you with your child.
Coaching Inquiries: What childhood experience fills your heart? Where does the inner child live in you? What can you learn from your inner child?
