As we continue through this Eastertide, I often find myself reflecting on bygone days in Sierra Leone, where kite flying went hand in hand with the season.
I have always found something deeply symbolic about this occasion, yet sadly, it is no longer part of community practice. The way a kite lifts itself into the sky; fragile, yet steady and determined, almost feels like a reflection of the resurrection. Not just in the religious sense, but in the everyday way we rebuild and rise again… reaching for something higher.
Kite flying is a fun activity, layered with deep meaning. It is a colourful and very visual illustration of Hope!
If you have ever made a kite (I have, numerous times), you will know it is not always successful; yet that is part of the journey.
I remember handling the delicate tissue paper with such care; the aim to build with absolute intention, avoiding rips while not using too much glue. If you managed to perfect this, all that remained was hope!
Hope for wind. Enough to carry, but not break the delicate binds.
Hope our creation is balanced and strong; to hold its own against the elements.
Hope that in the initial chaos of the lift, it becomes smoother leading to flight.
And as your kite finally latches onto the wind (mawnt kayt in Krio), with the cord pulling tight as it climbs, something inside of you rises with it. A sense of wonder. Stillness. A gentle breeze.
Notes, Heaven Bound
In this moment, the most beautiful part, is what we ‘send up’ with the kite: joy, hope, colour, flashes of personality … and handwritten messages!
Often, during a successful flight, family and friends would carefully tie small pieces of paper to the twine. These notes will spin and flit their way upward, travelling along the line until they meet the kite. They are the carriers of private messages, hopes and prayers; wishes that we might not say aloud. Things we hold onto and things we’re ready to release.
As they flutter upwards, catching the wind, shimmering in light, these tiny declarations enhance the magic of the line.
Once they are all in the sky, we simply let go.
Let Go!
We release what we have been holding onto so tightly.
No holding back.
No hesitancy.
Just a quiet decision to let it drift beyond us, carrying with it, everything. All the messages, the meaning, the hope!
It is no longer ours!
Maybe it will land somewhere unexpected, where someone will find our inner turmoil; our words, sent into the sky, will be read. Or maybe, it will just keep going… God knows.
There is something powerful in the act of letting go. Trusting that what we release still matters, yet reassured that not everything needs to be held tightly in order to be meaningful.
Hope doesn’t disappear; it quietly travels.
Go fly your kite!
