I find nothing more majestic than a bird of prey in flight. I love seeing them riding thermals, soaring effortlessly and gracefully. I’m enthralled by their speed and precision when they strike at their next meal.

But more than anything it’s the idea of flying wholly and completely free. Of being an apex animal on the food chain unworried about being hunted, and able to be in command of the sky, fearless and without a concern.

Birds have the freedom to travel in any direction. Gravity suggests only a direction of downward and is not a limiting force. The wind is a friend, an ally that dispels the pull towards the earth which limits land animals from venturing too far upwards.

If only I could fly. I’d do it for the pure joy of the act, as I believe birds of prey do. It’s not just about the hunt. It’s not only to get from one destination to another. It’s an act of pure enjoyment… a chance to be free.