It's Springtime -- prime time for flying kites in the crisp breezes flowing through South Texas these days.  I've seen a number of them aloft this month, and even got a chance to try my friend's super-duper, hi-tech, dual-string model for a few minutes last Saturday. It took some doing, but it sure was fun!  Mostly, I just sat back and watched as David made this magical creature plunge, skim and soar through the sky. Doing so, I realized that a kite is a fascinating study in contradiction, because it appears to be the very essence of freedom - and yet the fact that it's securely tied to a long, strong string is precisely what makes it possible to fly so freely, high overhead.
 
For me, the process of spiritual growth is much like flying a kite:  my soul can only soar on the wings of spiritual practices (such as prayer, meditation, reflection, reading, study) to the extent that it remains attached and grounded in practical applications to daily life.  As much as I love having my head "planted firmly in the clouds" while reading, writing and reflecting on metaphysical matters, I know its vital to balance those mystical interests with mundane actions.   It's a delicate balancing act and it takes some doing.  But as a long-time student of spirituality, I've seen more than a few seekers get so excited about their new discoveries that they want to zoom off to "follow their bliss", while ignoring the consequences of their rising credit card debts and breaking prior commitments to their loved ones.  And then there are those who spend so much time focusing on their  "inner guidance" that they become increasingly irrational, neglect their bodies' need for health, hygiene and regular rest, and lose contact with their fellow travelers on the path of spirit.   Humans are social animals after all, and we need to stay in contact with ourselves and each other just as surely as we need oxygen, food and water.
 
Yet it's not a question of either/or.  It doesn't have to be one or the other - spiritual or practical, metaphysical or physical, passive or active.  Ideally it's both, a delicate balancing act of embracing our divinity as well as our humanity.  The kite can't fly without a string, nor can a string move much on its own, either.  But when yoked together, in service to each other as well as the Guiding Force that holds them gently, it's beautiful to watch them soar!
 
With blessings and hopes of seeing you Around the Circle,