…that message is for me.

I was flying last week and the pilot notified us that the flight from Chicago was going to be diverted due to severe storms in Dallas (the news later that evening did indeed highlight scenes of the “golf ball sized" hail stones). We were diverted to an Air Force Base in northern Texas approximately two hours due north of Dallas. Once we had safely landed, a little mayhem ensued, as passengers were inundating the flight attendants with all kinds of questions about how we would get to Dallas, worries about missed connections, who was going to pay for changed itineraries, and the like.

The pilot tried to offer assurances, and finally indicated that in addition to inclement weather in Dallas, there was a light that came on in the cockpit that was “not good” and there would need to be repairs on the aircraft before it could take anyone to the desired destination.

To make a long story short, we all managed to get to Dallas (via ground transportation), flights were rebooked, and to make things worse, my re-arranged flight ended up being delayed…I was NOT happy, was irritable, grumbling, and flat out whining….until…I sat next to Cynthia. She was traveling to Fresno from Philadelphia compliments of her brother who lived in Madera. They were going to catch up with one another, visit Yosemite, go to Napa Valley, enjoy the neighbor’s horses, play with the family dogs, make memories, and experience many delightful activities because you see, Cynthia had been diagnosed with colon and liver cancer, and life was not going to pass her by.

She was so kind to tell me about their childhood, growing up with meager means, sharing a bedroom with this brother that had a bunkbed (she slept on the bottom), and how they were always very close out of all the other siblings.

Wow! I had been singing myself a sad tune about missing a flight and then after speaking with Cynthia, I said to myself…Be Grateful.

Wanda Holderman, F.A.C.H.E.
Chief Clinical Integration Officer