Onewindyspringday,Iobservedyoungpeoplehavingfunusingthewindtoflytheirkites.Multicoloredcreationsofvaryingshapesandsizesfilledtheskieslikebeautifulbirdsdartinganddancing.Asthestrongwindsgustedagainstthekites,astringkeptthemincheck.

　　Insteadofblowingawaywiththewind,theyaroseagainstittoachievegreatheights.Theyshookandpulled,buttherestrainingstringandthecumbersometailkeptthemintow,facingupwardandagainstthewind.Asthekitesstruggledandtrembledagainstthestring,theyseemedtosay,"Letmego!Letmego!Iwanttobefree!"Theysoaredbeautifullyevenastheyfoughttherestrictionofthestring.Finally,oneofthekitessucceededinbreakingloose."Freeatlast,"itseemedtosay."Freetoflywiththewind."

　　Yetfreedomfromrestraintsimplyputitatthemercyofanunsympatheticbreeze.Itflutteredungracefullytothegroundandlandedinatangledmassofweedsandstringagainstadeadbush."Freeatlast"freetoliepowerlessinthedirt,tobeblownhelplesslyalongtheground,andtolodgelifelessagainstthefirstobstruction.

　　Howmuchlikekiteswesometimesare.TheHeavengivesusadversityandrestrictions,rulestofollowfromwhichwecangrowandgainstrength.Restraintisanecessarycounterparttothewindsofopposition.Someofustugattherulessohardthatweneversoartoreachtheheightswemighthaveobtained.Wekeeppartofthecommandmentandneverrisehighenoughtogetourtailsofftheground.

　　Letuseachrisetothegreatheights,recognizingthatsomeoftherestraintsthatwemaychafeunderareactuallythesteadyingforcethathelpsusascendandachieve.

　　自由飞翔

　　在一个有风的春日，我看到一群年轻人正在迎风放风筝玩乐，各种颜色、各种形状和大小的风筝就好像美丽的鸟儿在空中飞舞。当强风把风筝吹起，牵引线就能够控制它们。

　　风筝迎风飘向更高的地方，而不是随风而去。它们摇摆着、拉扯着，但牵引线以及笨重的尾巴使它们处于控制之中，并且迎风而上。它们挣扎着、抖动着想要挣脱线的束缚，仿佛在说：“放开我！放开我！我想要自由！”即使与牵引线奋争着，它们依然在美丽地飞翔。终于，一只风筝成功挣脱了。“终于自由了，”它好像在说，“终于可以随风自由飞翔了！”

　　然而，脱离束缚的自由使它完全处于无情微风的摆布下。它毫无风度地震颤着向地面坠落，落在一堆乱草之中，线缠绕在一颗死灌木上。“终于自由”使它自由到无力地躺在尘土中，无助地任风沿着地面将其吹走，碰到第一个障碍物便毫无生命地滞留在那里了。

　　有时我们真像这风筝啊！上苍赋予我们困境和约束，赋予我们成长和增强实力所要遵从的规则。约束是逆风的必要匹配物。我们中有些人是如此强硬地抵制规则，以至我们从来无法飞到本来能够达到的高度。我们只遵从部分戒律，因此永远不会飞得足够高，使尾巴远离地面。

　　让我们每个人都飞到高处吧，并且认识到这一点：有些可能会令我们生气的约束，实际上是帮助我们攀升和实现愿望的平衡力。