Freedom
Last night we had our annual Daddy-Daughter dance at my girl’s school. Each year, all the dads and daughters dress up and go to the big Valentine’s Day dance. This is a great event, it really is. All the proceeds go to charitable organizations, I have a great time with my two daughters Madison and Olivia, and it ends up being a great night with friends and family.
We had an unseasonably warm day yesterday in Spokane, WA. Sunny and 50 degrees. It seems we hadn’t seen that funny yellow, orange thing in the sky in forever. About an hour or so before the dance, my oldest daughter Madison, went outside in to the back yard. She stared up at the sun, twirled with her eyes closed, and danced to her own little tune on the grass.
I was really taken back at that moment. My smile ran from ear to ear. Not a care in the world, enjoying the moment, enjoying the freedom of being a 10 year old girl, confident and comfortable, and enjoying life….Free.
As we get older, life can give us an edge, wear us down, and deal us a bad deck of cards from time to time. When I’m on the water, I’m very much in my own world, enjoying the day, enjoying the company of whomever I’m fishing with, letting things go….decompressing.
For those of us love the sport of fly fishing, don’t forget to enjoy the moment, the precious times we get to spend outdoors, immersed in nature. It’s not just about catching fish all the time. It’s not enough to simply be alive. You have to live your life. For me, I will never forget my beautiful daughter, twirling in the sunshine. The next time I’m on the water and I feel the warm, gentle rays of the sun upon my face, I’m sure I’ll be taken back into a precious moment. That’s freedom.