In the evening, before the sun goes down, the swallows take over the Cáceres sky.

I went for a sunset run with a friend and as we stopped to admire the painted sky, I looked up at the swallows and said, “I just love those birds because it looks like they’re just flying around for the joy of it.”

They don’t look like they’re flying to get somewhere important. They flit around and dive through thin air as if it’s their invisible roller coaster. Maybe they’re all surprise-attacking little bugs for their dinner or maybe some of them truly are flying around simply for fun.

You know how kids run just because? Outside play with their friends almost always includes running. Or, without thinking twice they, they break into a trot to get somewhere quickly. I did that today. I needed to get something from the other side of the yard and I ran for it. Why not?

Life isn’t always a piece of cake but I think we can sprinkle in enough just-because joy to get us through the days and then some.

Flit around the sky, run and skip through the lawn, dance across the kitchen, and sing for the sake of making music.