i met myself in the sky

i met myself in the sky ——— my younger self, shyer and quieter, flying solo for the first time. she was sitting by the window, lost in a dream, her hands wrapped around my camera, holding it like a secret she was starting to unfold. the steady rhythm of the plane beneath us was a quiet feeling somewhere between fear and freedom.

‘i can’t believe i’m actually doing this,’ she imagined, staring out at the endless stretch of dream-clouds. i smiled, remembering. ‘i know. i remember how it felt—the way the world seemed to unfold before you, the way your heart raced at takeoff. the way you felt impossibly small and infinite at the same time.’

‘but i don’t even know where i’ll end up. what if I can’t find somewhere that truly feels like home?’ ‘you will,’ i said gently. ‘and in time, you’ll trust in the timings of life, learning that ‘home’ isn’t just a place—it’s something you carry, something you create. and the sea… the sea will always remind you who you are.’

she looked down at her hands and my camera, quiet for a moment. ‘and what if i’m not ready?’ i reached for her hand, the one that once held so much hesitation. ‘you are,’ i whispered. ‘you just don’t know it yet.’

a long pause, then a deep breath. she turned back to the window, watching the horizon shift. ‘do i get to see the world?’ i smiled, the answer already written in the years between us. ‘you don’t just see it,’ i said. ‘you live it.’

sky musings ——— grateful for my journey of life, and my dreams that drifted me here. grateful for those who believe in me, whose trust holds me steady. grateful to experience special moments, with my heart by my side, reminding me of the beauty in each step, each day, each fleeting moment.

sarah jessica marie burns x