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To Heal
Christmas Carol
Morning
Mr. and Mrs. G (That's short for grouchy..) It
was about 9:50 AM on a beautiful clear September morning. We had just
passed through 10,000 feet and I was getting comfortably settled in
with my book and anticipating my first cup of coffee. We had a bit of a
delay in leaving Washington Dulles Airport that morning, but all was
fine now and we were on our way.
It was then that the
Captain's somber voice came over the intercom. He told us that there
had been a hijacking of two commercial airliners and they had hit the
World Trade Center. All of the airports were being shut down and we
would possibly be re-routed to land. My heart was pounding from the
news and my mind was trying to figure it out. I looked out of my window
and saw the usual patterns of fields, the roads, the houses, the cars,
the lakes, and I cried for the lives that I knew had just ended all too
soon.
I began to pray for families and friends of all of the
people in the buildings, on the ground, and that had been in the
planes. I looked across the aisle, and saw a business man in his
polished shoes and tailored suit with his hands folded in prayer. We
locked eyes a couple of times, but no words were necessary. Our lives
would be changed forever.
I thought for just a moment about
the flight I was on, and if we would be ok. I was sitting in the first
row, and took a quick glance over my shoulder, and just saw a lot of
people crying softly or praying or staring into space. I closed my eyes
and leaned my head against the window, and asked God for peace. As if
in a dream, I heard the prayers of family and friends who knew I had
been flying today. I experienced for the first time, true genuine
peace. It broke my heart to think of the many people that would be
dealing with grief and pain in a way that they never would have
imagined in their lifetime.
We landed safely at our original
destination, and as I made my way to the car rental counter, I realized
what this meant to all of us that were still here. We need to really
see each other when we pass along the way. We need to look the other
person in the eye and give them a smile. We need to say a prayer when
we sense someone is going through a bad time. We need to be a light
when darkness seems to want to overtake our world
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All at once, what was once so important now seemed trivial and
meaningless. What truly mattered was making a difference in the life of
whoever I ran into that day and in the days, weeks, and months to come.
The next week, as I boarded a plane to Chicago, I handed a card to the
crew just thanking them for all that they do for us business travelers
and that they were in my thoughts and prayers. Little did I know that
this crew had just come from a memorial service for their colleagues
that morning. Many of the flight attendants came to my row in tears and
said that was just what they needed for this day. The pilot then read
the words of the card to all of the passengers.
I was again
comforted knowing that although we were all still scared and hurting, a
simple gesture, a few words in a greeting card, a smile, a whispered
prayer still had the power to wrap our hearts in blankets of peace and
strength. The human spirit could be wounded, but we would fly on wings
of healing. We are brave. We are compassionate. We are strength.
Kindness is like a chain reaction. Make someone's day today! | |
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