Why I Fly

I fly to help me accept where “Kary” has gone…… Several years ago, my beautiful niece Kary (a 35-year old wife and mother of three children ages 2, 4 and 5) unexpectedly died one morning at home. Her baby girl was sleeping, her two boys at school, and her husband was working at the hospital in Flagstaff, AZ. My distraught daughter, attending school at the local university there, contacted me. I only knew one thing to do. I needed to get there from Texas to be with my family and do so as quickly as possible. I began calling the airlines, thinking it would be easy to get an immediate flight. I called several (including American) but began to realize I would likely need to drive to AZ. The fares were more than I could afford. Something caused me to dial the American Airlines number one more time. The American agent (angel) sensed something gravely wrong within my voice. I began to cry. Shortly thereafter, I was on a flight within a couple of hours; I never felt the financial pinch. I boarded my flight, took a window seat, and became absorbed in thought. I never heard the voices of the pilot, the flight attendants, nor the passengers. Deep within, I wondered if I was just dreaming and that Kary had not died. I tried within my thoughts to comprehend the “whys” of her shortened life. I had wondered where she was. I stared out the small window of the plane as it entered a beautiful cloud bank. Suddenly, in the distance, I saw a figure in white, gently waving and smiling as she always did with those perfect teeth. Her shiny, long blonde hair blew gently against the clouds. I put my hand against the tiny window and waved back as I saw her ascend upwards and disappear. I blinked and wiped away my tears, then closed my eyes and thought, “No one would ever believe this, so it’ll just remain my special secret.” I offered up a silent prayer of thanksgiving. For it was at that very moment, I was able to accept where “Kary” had gone. Perhaps this may seem a silly or ridiculous story to tell, but it happened exactly this way. The encounter left an imprint on my soul. Without trying to commercialize this personal event, I can honestly say I have formed a kinship with American. And, I suppose I will continue to somehow believe, if I sit by that very window….I will see her again. M.Clary September 17, 2004

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