I Wish
"I wish I could be like a bird in the sky
How sweet it would be if I learn how to fly
I'd soar to the sun and look down at the sea
Then I'd know, cause I've seen how it feels to be free"
— Composed by Billy Taylor. Lyrics by Dick Dallas
I wish I could be like a bird in the sky…
When I first heard these words, they weren’t sung by Nina Simone, who performed "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free" so beautifully, with so many layers of emotion and meaning. The first time I heard this song, it was performed by the Belgian band The Radios—of whom I was a big fan as a young teen. To me, the song carried different emotions, different layers, and perhaps even different meanings. But it resonated with me on a deeper level all the same.
Yes, I immediately loved the song because Robert Mosuse sang it—and I had a crush on him. But even at that age, I longed to break free from expectations, pressure, and the drama that comes with adolescence. Little did I know that "drama"—and to be honest, everything I just mentioned—doesn’t really go away when you grow up. You just learn to cope with it.
Now I realize: to truly feel free, you have to learn to deal with all of it in a healthy way. And that’s not easy at all. There’s no magic spell or button that can give you instant results.
Yesterday, while I was cleaning, I decided to listen to The Radios again. Noise-cancelling headphones on, I ran freely through the house without missing a beat of the music. And for the first time in ages, I felt joyful and free. How great it feels to sing along and dance to the music while doing a boring chore. I almost felt disappointed when there was nothing left to do. Was it an escape? I don't think so. It gave me so much energy and cleared so much space in my head and body that I could fully focus on the admin work I also needed to tackle. What usually drains me didn’t drain me at all. Is this my magic spell or button?
Or have I learned to allow myself to be in the moment and enjoy it? To let the child in me play again? Maybe that’s what reclaiming joy really means—not waiting for perfect conditions, but making space for freedom even in the middle of ordinary things. Making things fun again. Light again. Moving not just to get things done, but to feel something. To feel alive.
Reclaiming play isn’t childish. It’s an act of self-acceptance. It’s saying: I deserve to feel good. I’m allowed to feel joy. I can be responsible and still dance around the house. I can be grown-up and still play. I can feel free—even if just for a moment—by giving myself permission to enjoy being myself.
