The view from 30,000 feet is breathtaking!  From my seat over the wing on a recent flight I was fascinated by the juxtaposition of our (seemingly small) airplane against the vast expanse of Earth below.  It was mesmerizing. Beautiful… Majestic… Amazing… words fail to capture it.

Watching fields and rivers, small towns and big cities, clouds and sunshine streaming down, I loved the snapshots of our world that are unavailable to us in our day-to-day experience.

I found myself trying to grasp this remarkable reality.  I kept thinking, “Wow, just look at all of this!” Below people were simply living their lives: working, playing, learning, trying, failing, hoping, and dreaming.  Some alone, others gathered together. Some in grandiose ways, others in ordinary or even obscure ways. So many expressions of human life, beautiful, messy, at times heartbreaking, but all in all thrilling if you consider how astonishing (really implausible) the whole scenario really is.

Hollywood at its finest couldn’t produce this intricate assemblage of life!

Taking in the beauty, the diversity, the invisible order of it all… really seeing the whole of Earth, the big questions emerged:  How did Earth come to be? How did WE come to be? How incredible is it to have the opportunity to be here? To do this thing called “Life”?  To visit for a brief time?  

When I view our world from a broader perspective, I tend to relax and breathe a little easier. I am secure in my belief that a larger intelligence is at work, that all is right with the world. Clearly there is a grand plan! I find myself wanting to remain in that space, feeling part of a bigger picture. It truly is my happy place! But of course, I must come back to Earth (both figuratively and literally) to re-engage with the complexities of life.

My reverie was interrupted by the pilot’s announcement, and I was returned to my “smaller world.”  The woman next to me played Sudoku on her way to surprising her father for his 80th birthday.  I wondered about the stories of the other passengers.  Had they enjoyed the opportunity to unplug and hit the reset button? Many were probably occupied by thoughts of where they were going or where they had been.  Perhaps some caught a glimpse of the vastness around us and wondered as I did about the bigger picture.  I hope so!

Little had actually changed by the time we landed. The same responsibilities and opportunities I left at home greeted me when I stepped off the plane. The one difference was the slight refocusing of my lens on life. A clearer picture reminding me that life really is a grand production, a rare opportunity to be savored.

I was reminded of a favorite line from the movie Broken Trail. (Excusing the reference to the life of a horse, the sentiment is universal.) 

“We’re all travelers in this world.

From the sweet grass to the packing house.

Birth ’til death. We travel between the eternities.” 

                                                             ~ Prentice Ritter

Life on Earth is an incredible, unrepeatable experience.  Live it, love it, and don’t waste a minute of it. And when it gets confusing or hard or frustrating… remember the view from 30,000’ and breathe.

With wonder and possibility ~

Mary