放风筝

小时侯的梦想之一，是能变成一只鸟或一只鹰，在和风丽日里逍遥自在地飞。常常和朋友们躺在老城墙上、郊外河边的青草中、或麦田旁吹风，晒太阳。望着天上的鸟来来去去，心就跟着飘啊飘，禁不住地神魂颠倒。

到春天的时候，总要自己做些风筝去放。望着自己的风筝在天上飘飘荡荡，觉得好像是自己的一部分也飞到了天上。只是手上时刻感觉到的风筝对束缚抗争，不知该为风筝惋惜，还是为自己遗憾。也曾松开手中的线，想看看它能不能就这样远远的飞走。结果它摔了下来，为自由而故。

长大点后，就很少放风筝了，也再少有多少无所事事的闲暇。那种想飞想自由的感觉，也很少再浮上心头。这很多年后，偶然又想起风筝，带女儿一起去放，看风筝小鸟在天上飞，才又想起以前的梦。

还是一样地放风筝，心里的感觉却大不一样了。还是想飞，却不会再羡慕鸟类，知道它们有无数的天敌和无奈。自己每年积累的空中里程，都够免费的往返中国，所以对在云天中飞翔也好像不再陌生。想来想去，倒觉得自己这些年，是真象个风筝，在人世里飞来飘去。有辛劳苦闷，有享受欢乐，也总是有各种责任和束缚。盘点一番，是越飞越高。如果要总结经验，倒觉得自己的线，还总是捏在自己的手里吧。

Kite

This drawing depicts my memories around kites in my childhood.

One of my childhood dreams was to be a bird or an eagle. I dreamed of flying under the sunny sky and hovering among castle-like clouds with my own wings or arms. Kites fly too, but always attached with strings. That was the part I felt sorry for it then. Other than that, flying kites was one of my favorite games.

Years later in the US, I took my daughter out to fly kite in the spring. Watching her running around under the warm sunlight and listening laughter of kids blending with the fresh breeze, I recalled my childhood dream. Flying like a bird became less seductive after accumulated good amount of mileages from different airlines each year. On the other hand, I saw myself was like a kite for these many years – never wanted to stay still on the ground and was always trying to defy gravities in the life. Letting myself and the ones I loved to hold my string, luckily I am still flying high...