“Let’s Go, Fly a Kite”
By
Gerry Niskern
I received a photo the other day that “warmed the cockles” of my heart
My great-grandson had launched a beautiful purple and yellow kite and his just turned three-year old daughter was flying it.
What a thrill it is for a little child when their dad finally lets them fly the kite all by themselves.
I imagine my great-great-grandaughter felt just like I did when my dad finally let me hold the string of our kite. Dad always constructed our kites from thin scrapes of wood and newspapers. But one day he came home with a surprise.
He called our new kite the “All American Beauty”. He paid a whole 25 cents for it.The red and white vertical stripes were topped off with a blue field of white stars. Then dad told us to write a secret on a slip of paper. He said we were going to send a message to the heavens. Somehow he attached the paper to the kite string and it went scooting up the line as we watched in amazement!
Her great uncle, an avid kite flyer, says she has to launch a kite by herself someday before she can be a pro. I’m sure she will; with the help of her dad just like he is going to help her learn all kinds of new fun skills!
I always loved flying kites with my Dad. When Roy and I were in Northern California we bought a kite and flew it because the wind was perfect. A sweet memory. they had kite stores where we were by the ocean.
Bobby