I've Always Loved Swings: How They Help Me Cope with Life's Struggles

I've always loved swings. Since I was a kid, there was just something that drew me to them, more even than the average kid I think, because to this day, as a nearly 30-year-old grown woman, I still love them. I once had a home-made tree swing, but the tree it was attached to was dead, so it didn't last very long.

Ever since my first swing came crashing down, I've wanted another and for some reason, it never dawned on me that having a swing again was completely within my control. Thankfully so because my need for a swing became more intense this year when my dad was in hospital, critically ill.

I found myself struggling to breathe and feeling trapped indoors or standing still. A swing was my only way of coping. One night while paralysed with grief on a park swing, I realised that my childhood obsession was less about a simple piece of play equipment and more about the need for escape. What I love about swinging is the sense of freedom it creates. The ability to move, despite the inability to go anywhere.


Swinging doesn't solve any of my problems or make them go away. All it does is help me to breathe. To stop and take a moment to feel what I am feeling without being overwhelmed by my emotions. So I made myself a swing and just like having a swing was within my control, I believe that being able to deal with life's struggles is also within our capabilities if we just stop to breathe.