First Lesson of the New Year

Christmas often bring new toys and gifts for the children. The New Year gives them the opportunity to play with these things.

RD got a PAPER AIRPLANE 2010 calendar for Christmas. He placed the calendar on the bookshelf in the dining room and he has made one airplane so far. This led MyGirl to dig up the 365 Tiny Paper Airplanes we had included in one of our shipping boxes. GI received this several years back (it was a 2006 calendar) but had not folded up and made them into airplanes.

MyGirl worked on several planes one after the other. She would fold them up then let me see them. My question would always be the same, "Does it fly?"

After several folded planes and test flights, she came upon one which stumped her.

"What kind of airplane is this?" she said as she completed the plane. "It's called TWISTER."

Without even looking, I told her that it was something that would fly vertically and recommended she go upstairs and drop it down.

She was dubious but tried it nonetheless.

To her delight, the twister flew beautifully.

She immediately called her brother to check out her new plane. (He was busy playing with his DS and replied that they had made something like that in school last year.) MyGirl didn't care, she ran up and down the stairs and made the twister fall over and over again. She would call my attention before every flight so that I could see the plane fly.

There was a long break between two sets of flights and I assumed she was making a new plane. However, when she called me to look at the next two test flights, we were sorely disappointed. It was still her original twister but on both occasions, the twister failed to turn and simply plopped down as she let go.

"Ohhh," MyGirl sighed as the twister gave a dismal second performance.

I suggested that she re-fold the plane and try again.

"But I already glued it," she replied.

Eureka!

I explained to her that these airplanes are able to fly because the paper is light. Putting glue on the plane, I told her, weighed it down making it impossible for the plane to fly properly.

She immediately understood the consequences of her actions and decided to use one of the previously folded sheets to make a new twister. After a couple of minutes, she called out again to show me her new twister.

It few magnificently.

I am reminded of a story which (I believe) Sister Deer had once told me about how ducks constantly clean themselves to be free from dirt and mud. She said that they do this because if they are packed in muck they are unable to fly. Her point? In order to "fly" and reach heaven, we too should be clean and free from 'dirt.'

It is the start of the year -- the usual time for resolutions to be made. The New Year, just as each new day, gives as the opportunity to do the right thing. Besides, it never hurts to try to be better everyday.

Happy New Year, all. And Good Luck on all those New Year's resolutions.