This past week on Colorado’s local news, there was a story of a baby hawk in a woman’s backyard. She thought the baby was hurt and called various animal organizations to assist. They said it had fallen while learning to fly. “Just leave him alone. His mother is nearby. He’ll eventually fly away.”  

What a beautiful lesson for Juneteenth—a day that reminds us that freedom is not simply something given. Freedom is something lived. It requires courage, trust, and the willingness to spread our wings.  

If we allow our children the opportunity to learn, to stumble, and to try again, they’ll discover their own wings and learn how to flap them. They’ll learn that flying takes effort. And, in order to soar, to expand their wings into the vast, beautiful blue sky, sometimes they must falter a little. However, if the hawk didn’t get up off the ground and try again, he’d remain grounded for life.  

We all fall from the nest.  

We all flap awkwardly.  

We all have moments when flying seems impossible.  

The question is whether we will get up and try again.  

Isn’t that like all of us?  

Shouldn’t we keep trying to flap our wings?   

What if we gave up just before success?  

We’d regret not going for it just one more time, wouldn’t we?  

Over the years, I have come to believe that part of my purpose is to remind others that they already have wings. Whether through piano, singing, autoharp, writing, or speaking, my hope is to inspire others to discover their own power to fly, to be free, and to soar into their greatness.  

I believe we are all children of God. As such, we are free and unlimited. We are not bound by circumstance. We’re free. Free to rise like a hawk! We are meant to live with well-being, peace, love, joy, strength, imagination, commitment, and courage.   

Like a mother hawk, I encourage you to stand up one more time, to spread your wings one more time, to raise your head one more time, to trust the winds one more time, and to rise into your own brilliance! For in doing so, you will change the way you see and change the way you live.   

We All Have Wings  

We all have wings  

We all have the ability to fly.  

From the smallest insect to the largest eagle  

We are meant to soar.  

We must spread our wings.   

We must allow ourselves to fly into our potential.   

We must not shrink or be small.  

We must rise into all that God created us to be   

So, allow yourself to be you.  

Allow yourself to soar.  

Allow yourself to have the strength, desire, and willingness to let go.  

You are the creators of your destiny and sky.  

Lift up your wings  

Soar  

Let the winds of life lift you higher than you ever thought possible.  

Rise, fly, embrace all that is good.   

You deserve to fly to live in your greatness.  

You deserve to embrace your sky.  

You deserve to be the amazing you.  

You deserve to be who you were meant to be   

Rise!   

Rise!   

Rise!   

Rise!