Still I Fly

                                       

Oh, I LOVE this song!

Especially around 3:13... oohhh chills.

And, I just found out it's from the new planes movie.

Ha, I kinda love that.

Anyhow, I might be missing the entire point of this song but goodness it fills me with so much inspiration, and hope, and courage and.... who knew a song from a Disney movie could do that?

The beginning, when it says "There's a time in your life, When the world is on you side." 

and then continues to say... "You might not feel it, you might not see it, but it surrounds you like a light, makes you stronger for the fight."

Yeah, that part made my heart sink a little.

Remember when you were little... when your elementary school teacher told you that you could be anything in the world if you just put your mind to it?

When you dreamed of being an astronaut, a firefighter, the president, a pop star, even a superhero? (or in my case a garbage MAN... well that's beside the point and I was like 2 so it doesn't count)

Oh, those were the days.

But, it got me thinking... that time in your life, when everyone is encouraging you and when they really are "on your side" it sure does make you a little stronger for the "fight" later on.

We all have our own trials whether they are big or small, but they sure have a way of digging in deep and causing everything to seem a little tougher than it should be.

For example, I'm trying desperately to learn how to drive our only, stick shift, car.

Ugh.

My first go at it failed miserably and got me feeling pretty darn discouraged.

I literally thought I was incapable of driving that car.

I let it get to me and had Hunter drive me everywhere I needed to go because I was too scared to try again.

We do love doing everything together, but there were days he realllyy didn't want to go to Target or it really would've just been more convenient if he didn't have to go completely out of his way to pick me up from work. 

Yet somehow, I wouldn't get in that car and try again.

Then one day, I felt strong. 

I wanted to try again.

So I did.

And, I didn't fail miserably!

I drove through the neighborhood and felt so proud of myself.

A few days later Hunter had an idea that I should try driving to work, on real streets, with... stoplights.

I agreed, but that didn't stop me from feeling sick to my stomach thinking I was going to somehow crash.

It was a pretty smooth ride, until I got to a big intersection.

I was turning left and I was the first car in the line.

I freaked out and stalled the car right as the light turned green.

I panicked and almost started crying as I looked at Hunter "what do I do?"

By the time I was all situated to go again the light was red and the cars behind me were honking... and angry. 

I said a quick little prayer before the light turned green again and this time I was on my way without any trouble at all.  

I wouldn't say I'm a pro at this point... at all.

But, I've managed to go a couple places fairly close without stalling this week!

I don't know what snapped in me that day I got the urge to give it another go, but I do think it's a little bit of that courage coming out I gained as a little girl when mommy and daddy and so many others were always on my side. 

What I'm trying to get at with my silly little stick shift story that's probably having some of you that learned on a manual car laughing, is that little hiccups will always come. 

But they also will go, if we let them.

Dig a little deeper when the going gets tough and remember the confidence you had when you really had the whole wide world at your fingertips.

I struggle, and I struggle often but... 

Still I Fly

All my love,

Aleigh Joy 

(p.s I'm so grateful for Hunter's patience in teaching me. I sure love that man.)