Seeing a young girl in long pants, long sleeve shirt & also wearing a Hijab climbing a tall tree, shouting joyfully, pretending she's stuck up there, playfully screaming for her sister (who is wearing similar attire & is currently headbanging to whatever track is blasting through her iPod) to come & 'save' her. She then proudly smiles her bright wide smile & announces "Don't worry, I can do this myself!". She climbs nimbly down, but not before holding onto a sturdy branch with both hands & allowing her legs to freely cycle the air before her, eyes closed.
Feet reach solid ground once more. The smile does not leave her face as she rejoins her friends.
The smile does not leave my face because I know that if she were still in her native country she would have been severely beaten if not killed for such an act of mere childish revelry (especially for a girl) and I silently rejoice in the fact that she is able to enjoy such basic freedoms that we all take for granted. I halfheartedly make far less than a token effort of telling her that she shouldn't have been in the tree (as my position requires), but inside I wish I could have joined her in savouring the air up there.
There is a place for us all in that tree.
A beautiful moment, beautifully written.
ReplyDeleteThank-you very much! I couldn't say that it meant anything at all to anyone else watching, but it was a very inspiring & uplifting experience to behold. Simple pleasures!
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