Each day, if I'm lucky, I get to watch a young hawk practice flying and soaring. I'll see him or her perched in the very top of a big tree in the farm field visible from our back yard. Hawkie will sit and sway in the breeze (or gale) until ready to leap in the air. What follows could be made into a Looney Tunes cartoon (the old kind - not the new versions), or a Sesame Street skit for the letter "U". Yon Hawklet flaps frantically while flying straight up to the right...then catches the updraft and starts to soar for a second...and then frantically flaps while flying back down and then starts back up again and catches that updraft...then panics and frantically starts flapping and heads straight down until catching the updraft...
...and Hawkie will do this over and over again, tracing the letter "U" in the sky. Eventually my winged tutor starts flapping a bit less and soaring a little bit more...until it is time to rest on the top limb of the tree and squawk for mom or dad...and then off to practice once again!
I resonate with the "frantic flapping" part of this learning curve...it takes much practice, time and trust to learn how to relax into the air currents and soar. Hawkie is teaching me self patience, for I often fault myself for not being "there" yet, and feel frustration at the time required to master a new skill.
But I've seen the parents of Hawkie, and their flight is a sight to behold. Hawkie will get there...as will I.
What causes you to frantically struggle - what are you striving to achieve? Do you grant yourself grace and time? Do you reflect patience and acceptance towards yourself as you face your learning curve?
Flap less - soar more!
Kim
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