My 10-year-old nephew came for a visit one hot, July weekend. I told him to stay inside by joining him in an online game. After being repeatedly beaten by a more experienced player, I suggested that we relax for a while.
"Look, Aunt Alice, " he said excitedly as he ran over to me. "I found a kite. Could we go outside and fly it?" Glancing out of the window, I noticed there was no wind outside. "I'm sorry, Tripper, " I said. "The wind is not blowing today. The kite won't fly. "
"I think it's windy enough, I can get it to fly, " he answered as he hurried out the door. I looked out the window to watch him. Up and down the yard he ran, pulling a small length of string tied to the kite. The plastic kite remained about his shoulder level. He ran back and forth, looking back hopefully at the kite trailing behind. After about ten minutes of unsuccessful efforts, he came back in.
I asked, "How did it go?"
"Fine, " he said, not wanting to admit (承认) failure. "I got it to fly some. " As he walked past me to return the kite to the shelf, I heard him say under his breath, "I guess I'll have to wait for the wind. "
And it dawned on me how easy it is for us to depend only on our own efforts to complete what we want to do. We wait for the "wind" only after we have used up our own strength. Sometimes, what we need is just a little outside help.