Ava Thursday: I'm Learning To Fly

I wish that we can fly. Wouldn't that be something? To experience the feeling of the wind whipping across your face with nothing underneath you -- just you, the clouds and the sky, completely weightless. Birds have it pretty good, don't they? We mere humans will never truly experience this phenomenom without some assistance, I guess. Ava has on many occasions wished out loud to be able to fly. She wants to fly so badly that I've found her jumping up and down with eyes closed, grunting and grimacing like there's something wrong. "What's the matter, Ava?" I would then ask her. "I want to FLY!" Ava says this with such a determination and longing and a genuine belief that this act can actually be possible.

And that is why I love this little story that Ava drew in my Moleskine back in January. There is so much to this series of three drawings, so much heart and depth and personal yearning that it almost hurts for me to see them. To know just how much Ava wants to fly -- and then to see her draw this and tell me about it -- it's almost too much for me.


The story is called "I'm Learning To Fly." It is a story of a bird who can't fly but is dreaming that she can when she sees a flock of birds flying overhead.


Here, our little bird has decided to open up her wings to try and take flight...


...and then she flies!

Ava has yet to fly in a plane, but I'm thinking that when that moment comes, she'll be so exhilarated she won't know what to do with herself. I would do anything to witness that moment.

This post has been featured on the always interesting Moleskinerie blog! Thanks, Armand. Ava will be so happy.