Earlier this month at a town festival, I had the opportunity to go on a Ferris wheel with our five-year-old grandson. Three things stayed with me from our ride in the sky:
#1
It had been many years since I was on a Ferris wheel. As we waited in line for 45 minutes with the sun beating down, my perspiration was from two sources. I confessed, “I’m a little scared but I can do it.” His smile conveyed that he’d help me through it. When the ride was over, we celebrated that even though I had been scared, it turned out to be super fun.
#2
“Look at the view!” Hearing this from a five-year-old impressed me. He kept repeating it and wanted to take in the trees, buildings, and the whole town. We located where the rest of the family was waiting for us. The more I noticed the broader view, the more my hands loosened their tight grip on the bar and were free to point out the different sights.
#3
After one rotation, we thought that was it, the entire ride. There was a long line of people waiting to get on and maybe the rides would have to be short. It turned out that the first time around was just the loading of everyone into the gondolas. (As I said, it had been a while since I was on a Ferris wheel.) With each rotation, we exclaimed and counted:
“Two!”
“Three!”
“How many more do you think there will be?”
“Four!”
“Five!”
“Do you think we’ll get to ten?”
“Six!” (followed by hysterical laughter)
We were thrilled to have six rotations and amazed each time there had been another! It brought to mind the sentiment in birthday cards about celebrating another “ride around the sun.” Imagine arriving at each birthday, open to the feeling that bubbled over from my grandson on that ride: to be surprised, happy, and grateful for each rotation.
Wherever your feet take you this summer, may you find something new to take in, an enhanced perspective, and gratitude for another rotation on the Ferris wheel.
