So I was at the playground today with my nephews. Walking around. Policing. Dancing on the periphery of fun, as usual. Then the kids decided to go over to the swings. I situated them and pushed for a while until the younger one became bored. He left and there was a vacant seat, so I sat down.

The older one and I sat in silence until he asked how to get things moving. I told him he had to take his feet off the ground and pump his legs. Out and back. I demonstrated and began to climb higher. And higher. And higher. Soon I couldn't control the goofy smile on my face. I had forgotten how fun it is to swing.

He, too, became bored with the swing set and went to a different area of the park, but I stayed behind thinking about how swinging is a metaphor for life. You lift your feet and take off. Who knows how high you’ll go. Out. Back. Out. Back. So simple. Just pump your legs. Out. Back.

Why hadn’t I thought of this earlier?