Thursday's Children 2/28/13

Welcome to the Thursday’s Children Blog Hop, where writers come together to share whatever inspires them throughout their writing journey. Make sure to check out the other bloggers via the Link List at the bottom of this post. We’d love for you to join us!

I didn't post last week. My 15-year-old daughter, Lindsey, and I were in Florida visiting family. Which brings me to the inspiration for this week's post.

Grateful. 

There have been two times in my life when I was truly afraid for my life. The second time happened last Thursday.

Lindsey and I were on a flight from Fort Myers, Florida, to Philadelphia, where we had a connecting flight to upstate New York. Before I go on, I should mention that I've been traveling since the age of 12. At 19, I worked for American Airlines. And, I was a travel agent for almost 10 years. That being said, I don't worry at the slightest bit of turbulence or bumpy landing. But what happened on this flight was completely terrifying.

We were minutes from landing -- the plane descending -- when it began to roll. First left. Then right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Still descending. Pressures building. Then suddenly, the plane shot up. What seemed like, STRAIGHT UP!

Lindsey and I were holding hands. No. Squeezing hands. I was seated on the aisle. I remember looking up and down the aisle and at everyone's face within view, thinking, what's happening?! Why hasn't anyone said anything? Why hasn't the pilot said ANYTHING?! We were still rising. But the airport is right there?!

Lindsey started crying and throwing up. She wasn't the only one throwing up. We could hear lots of those little bags crinkling open.

The whole thing lasted almost 30 minutes. That's a lot of time to fill with your own thoughts. Possible scenarios running through your head. The infamous "life flashing before your eyes." 

One thing I remember thinking was ...
My book. The novel that I have been working on for four years, will never see publication. The one thing, beside my children, that I am most proud of ... and no one will ever see it.

So ... I am grateful for the happy ending this story.

Lindsey bottle feeding a kangaroo

I am grateful

that we

got to spend

a great week,

in beautiful Florida,

with family.

Me feeding a giraffe

And

so

much

more!

I am more determined than ever to get REACH published. I would love a happy ending to that story.

PS - In the end, the pilot gave us a brief explanation, blowing it off as "a plane on the runway." I don't believe that was what happened, neither did a pilot friend.