I jumped out of a perfectly good airplane today. The sky was the most amazing blue with a field of perfectly white clouds going out across to the horizon...so at 13,000 feet...I jumped. The whole experience was surreal, but, for me, that intial exit from the plane was....incredible. Trying to describe it all leaves me somehow stuck on two words...amazing and incredible. Do you remember as a kid doing the "Nestea plunge" into the pool? To my cousins and I, that meant being up on the diving board, back to the water, eyes closed...and just falling. Well, falling out of an airplane at 13,000 feet felt much the same way...just bigger. Not to mention my eyes weren't closed and the ground look very very far away. I plan to write more about it tomorrow, but for tonight, all I can think about are the words to the song they superimposed on my video recording my jump:

I took a walk around the world
to ease my troubled mind
I left my body laying
somewhere in the sands of time
I watched the world float
to the dark side of the moon
I feel there is nothing I can do, yeah

I watched the world float
to the dark side of the moon
After all I knew it had to be
something to do with you
I really don't mind what happens now and then
As long as you'll be my friend at the end

If I go crazy then will you still call me Superman
If I'm alive and well, will you be there holding my hand
I'll keep you by my side with my superhuman might
Kryptonite


Thank you, Denise, for sharing this incredibly amazing experience with me.

Children are the most amazing little people. Time and time again I have seen the strength of children--they have so much to teach us. David Tippin was lost and on his own at four years old for more than 48 hours, interviewed leaving the hospital, he simply grinned and ate up the attention of the press who were inanely trying to have a formal interview with a four year old. We don't see too many happily ever afters on television, and even in life it seems sometimes, this was a happily ever after--we need to hoard these moments like the gold they are.

If one wishes for good, Heaven will help. --Chinese proverb.

Connections. Sometimes it seems that the connections between people today are such thin and fragile things...and then something happens and you see that the connection are not as tenuous as you thought--that they can, in fact, but strong indeed.

Sunday a woman from my stitching board's 4.5 year old son got out of the house while his parents were sleeping--every parent's nightmare, one I have had so many times given my daughter's sleep walking tendency. I have been nauseous for this family since I first read of it Monday morning. I cannot even begin to imagine the whole torrent of emotions that must be exhausting this family. You can read Stacey's plea for prayers here:

http://perlemoon.blogspot.com/

Anyone who has read my blog at all knows that my relationship with religion is strained, however I have no doubt whatsoever in the power of prayer and concerted well-wishing and postive thoughts/vibes/energy. There is great strength to be found in a large number of people all focused on the same goal. All across the globe, literally, people are focusing their prayers, thoughts, and energy on this one little boy. I wish him a good sleep, wherever he may be, I wish him no fear, I wish a cloud of peace and protection surrounding him, I wish him the sense of grand adventure that brought him to where he is to continue so that when his family finds him, he thinks its just the end of his hero's journey home, I wish him safe, I wish him home soon, I wish his parents and family and friends strength and small spaces to breathe, I wish his parents and family and friends small moments of rest to keep their strength, I wish for them hope, I wish for them joy in the finding of him quickly.