Gracefully she stands
yearning for the skies once more
on her mother’s lap.
Under the age of two, Oakli is legal to be the cutest third passenger in our Cub. And a great passenger she is. Much like her father, itching for those moments to be aloft, staring out towards infinity, gazing into the miniaturized world below, contemplating…okay, she sleeps in planes just like daddy did as a child. And for many years I did. The soothing sounds of Continental engines and McCauley propellers turning small amounts of air and fuel into thrust and noise lull her and I to a meditative state of calmness and tranquility. The gentle rocking motion of the small air currents dancing along the wings are like a gentle breeze rocking us in a hammock. I can’t blame her for sleeping. I just took a small nap at work (disclaimer: I’m on a deadhead and not acting as a required crew member) and I loved it. Something about being at home in the air. The troubles of the world disappear. There are no honey-do lists at 500’ AGL short of “don’t hit anything.” There is just freedom. And while we work on her ability to communicate with us better, her smile tells me she’s ready to take her seat and for us to take flight once more. And if she sleeps, good on her.