Up, Up, Up

I went for a run this afternoon under the first wide open, blue sky we've had in what seems like a while. We live near the banks of the Mississippi River and I have a favorite route that winds it's way high above the river.

My run began with the sounds of fire engines and police cars somewhere near by and as I got down near the river I could see they were stopped above the dam, lights still flashing.

People were starting to gather near an intersection - other runners and bikers and I decided I didn't need to involve myself, but also that I didn't need to invite trauma into my line of vision either. We have a choice - sometimes the right answer is to look towards and sometimes to look away.

I stood for a brief minute watching the helicopter hover above the dam. I turned and ran with my back to the firetrucks and police cars, grateful for our first responders who don't get to make this kind of choice. But I ran none the less.

We've been watching the terrible news from Oklahoma, also trying to understand a local tragedy yesterday that killed two fourth grade students, and the death of Zach Sobiech this week as well.

On the way to help my parents last night we heard the song Clouds on the radio and all my kids heard the announcer say that Zach had died and my youngest asked if he ever got to see the video that was made for him.  I said, yes, I believe that he did.

So we sat in the car and watched the YouTube clip a few times on my cell phone (technology is amazing). I asked the kids why they thought that he felt like he had fallen "down, down, down" and they said because he was sick and scared.

I asked why did they think that even though he is the only one who falls, "they" go "up, up, up"? And my oldest said because he didn't want his family to be sad, he wanted to help them be alright.

And I finally asked why did they think that Zach says he's going "up a little higher" and they all agreed it was because he's going to heaven and that would make his family feel better.

"I think that Zach is a saint.  Not a canonized saint in the church, but a saint in the way that he was able to lift people up, in fact people all over the world with just his voice and his heart."

I asked the kids who else they knew in their lives like that and they went down a list of people we know and love.

"What can you do to be more like Zach?  To lift people up at school or at home? How can we make his impression on us be a lasting impression?"

They agreed to go to school the next day and look for people who might need lifting "up, up, up."

We all felt better, taller, stronger.

I finished my run with the sun on my face and Springsteen on my shuffle:

"Now I believe in the love that you gave me.
I believe in the faith that could save me."

I don't know yet what happened on the river this afternoon, but I hope we keep finding the way to go up, up, up and fly a little higher.