Flying at night - The most beautifully enlightening experience
This time of year is filled with light.
I love it! Don’t get me wrong.
All the bright, twinkly lights and decorated trees and garland everywhere you turn.
It’s the best!
But sometimes what I love even more than being immersed in it all, is being able to press the pause button and come out of it for a bit.
What do I mean?
How do I do that?
Flying.
Now, to clarify, I’m not under some strange four year old delusion that I can acquire this lofty super power.
Although, if I’m being totally honest I’ll never stop hoping it’ll be a possibility one day.
Because, I mean, helllloooo.
Flying. ‘Nuff said.
What I’m talking about involves an airplane. 30,000 feet above the ground.
At night.
Overhead lights are off in the airplane, and just a few book lights illuminate the cabin.
It’s the best way to travel.
I feel relaxed just thinking about it.
Those few hours up in the air are like a forced break. Which lets be honest, most of us need to be forced to take breaks this time of year.
They always shift your perspective.
Literally because ya know, the whole 30,000 feet above ground thing, but more importantly mentally.
When you can look out and see all those bright lights of the cities below fighting to make their way to you, it reminds you how everyone is like those lights.
Fighting, striving to keep going, to make an impression.
And far more powerful than they realize.
Seriously.
Those lights light up the ground. Absolutely.
But look at how they also light up the sky.
Their reach is far beyond the immediacy we notice here and now in the streets.
Now, I realize that this may be a bit existential for some of you, so I apologize if I seem too sappy, but if you can shake the cynicism for a second, the view of those lights is really quite beautiful.
It reminds me that I actually enjoy the darkness night brings. There is something so striking to see a subtle illumination of millions of lights in the middle of the night.
Whatever your struggles may be at the moment, you are reminded that there is still beauty out there. There is light that will always be shining even in the darkest nights.
And that most importantly, that light often times stretches so much farther than we think.
