Loving someone isn’t always easy and, in my opinion, love isn’t always enough to make a relationship work. For those of you have been following this blog for some time,TMIM and I are divorcing. It is an amicable one, and for that, I am grateful.

Michael Johnson sang a song called Give Me Wings. I remember it being on the Country Western charts in the mid-eighties. It always made me cry even though I had not yet learned what it meant to be in love. Over twenty five years later, I can say that I have truly and deeply been in love twice.  Both men let me go by my own request.  After a little digging, I found the lyrics. It wasn’t until these two men let me go that I remembered this song.

Give Me Wings
By Rhonda Fleming & Don Schlitz

He asked her, what gifts can I bring you
To prove that my love for you is true
I want to make you mine forever
There’s nothing on this earth I would not do
She said, anything I’ve wanted
You have given willingly
So now there’s only one more thing I need

If you love me, give me wings
Don’t be afraid if I fly
A bird in a cage will forget how to sing
If you love me, give me wings

He walked over to the window
Silently stared into space
He said, I just want to protect you
‘Cause this world is a dangerous place
She put her arms around him
She said, I know you mean well
But there are lessons I must learn for myself

If you love me, give me wings
Don’t be afraid if I fly
A bird in a cage will forget how to sing
You can trust me, give me wings

She said, up above the clouds, you can see forever
And I know you and I can learn to fly together

If you love me, give me wings
Don’t be afraid if I fly
A bird in a cage will forget how to sing
You can trust me, give me wings

If you really love me
Give me wings

Both of these men gave me wings. I needed to fly and make my own mistakes and learn my own lessons. They loved me enough to set me free. I couldn’t give them what they needed and they couldn’t give me what I needed either. It doesn’t mean I didn’t love them any less. I just had a calling to do other things in my life and to take care of myself. They both meant well in an attempt to guide and protect me. I am a little stubborn and a little too independent for my own good. I needed to fly in order to breathe and feel free. Is it a way to avoid dealing with love or other feelings? Perhaps. Both of these loves knew me better than I knew myself. Whatever the reason, I often felt like a trapped animal with no way to escape.

I don’t know where I would be if neither one of these men had the courage to open my cage. For that, I owe them both a thank you.

~A. Mac