The Rerouted Skytress

Sometimes my heart and soul know something long before my brain figures it out. For a few days I felt sadness and loneliness slowly seeping through my body. On May 3rd I remembered. May 3rd was the day Ron and I headed off to fly together. It was his first trip back flying after his Mom’s passing. It was the last trip Ron and I would fly together. I wondered if I would get a Heavenly sign that day. I did. As I was going through my email, I received a viewing suggestion from Netflix. It was for the movie, “Greater”. Ron loved this movie so much he rented it twice just so I could watch it with him. The movie is based on Arkansas Razorback football player, Brandon Burlsworth. After Ron died I rented the movie again. The beautiful movie reminded me of a special time Ron and I shared together. This past May 3rd, I went to bed knowing when I came back from my trip I would watch the movie again. My heart, soul AND brain knew it would help me feel Ron’s love from Heaven.

May 3rd I went to bed nervous about the storms that were predicted in St. Louis and Atlanta. I checked the status of my airplane and crew before I climbed into my bed. I was relieved to see they had landed in St. Louis. So, I closed my eyes and wished myself to sleep. My dog, Finley, needed to go potty at 2am. When I climbed back into bed to get two more hours of sleep, I looked at my cell phone. I could see a message about my morning flight. I struggled to read it without my glasses. I saw the words “delay” and 9:40. Oh, no! My flight was scheduled to leave at 6:10am. I put my glasses on and read the message to make sure I was understanding it. Yep, my flight to work was delayed. My body went into shock. My brain seized up. I couldn’t think of what I needed to do. Should I call in sick? Should I list on the jumpseat for my backup flight? I panic searched the weather forecasts for St. Louis and Atlanta. I knew I had one hour to make my sign-in time with my back up flight. Ugh! This was not good. I decided I had to list on the backup flight and hope for the best. I tried to recalculate my wake up time. I didn’t need to get up at 4am now. But, for the life of me I couldn’t count time backwards while I was in panic mode. It didn’t really matter what time I set my alarm for, though. I wasn’t going back to sleep. No. There is no going back to sleep when one is in full-blown stress mode.

When I stepped into the shower I was still worrying about my backup flight. I worried something would happen to the flight and I would miss my trip. As I washed my hair, I prepared my speech for the reliability review panel I was POSITIVE I would have to sit before. Yep. A stressed Skytress thinks like this. Well, at least this stressed Skytress does!Obviously, I would remind the review panel of my 31 years of being a model Skytress. I would remind them of the years I never called in sick. I would remind them of the times I flew to support the operation when I didn’t have to. If I have to say so myself, …it was a riveting speech. Amazingly, a few minutes later when I stepped out of the shower, I decided I didn’t care what happened that morning. I was tired of worrying. Yes. I apparently washed the stress away. And I didn’t even shower with one flake of Calgon! Crazy. I know! Amazingly, my mindset turned to “whatever happens…..happens”. So, I got dressed and headed off to the airport.

I drove to the airport and prayed to God. So much for my plan of not worrying, right? I needed God to know I was stressed. Hey, we were in this together. I saw an employee shuttle leave the parking lot. I wondered how long it would take for another shuttle to come around. Well, I didn’t have time to even worry about that. Another shuttle was pulling up as I was getting out of my car. Of course, I now had to rush to get my crew bags out of my car. Because I was in panic rush mode, my bags were tumbling over. Yep, I couldn’t get one bag to hook on my suitcase. I started running with my bags dragging behind. The driver started to pull away. I thought, “Really?!”. Then he stopped. He opened the door. I anticipate him saying good morning to me. Instead he told me I needed a mask to get on the shuttle. As I tried desperately to untangle my bags, I told him I had a mask in my hand. He told me it didn’t do him any good for me to have it in my hand. Really?! I was flabbergasted. I knew he had just watched me struggle to get to the shuttle so I wouldn’t delay him. Now I was stressed AND irritated. Fortunately, a pilot from my airline got on the shuttle at the next stop. He was supposed to be on the 6am flight, too. He told me he got a call from our airline reservation system at 3:15am stating the flight was delayed. Yes, he got an hour less of stress time than me. Lucky guy. When we got inside the airport I told him what the shuttle driver said about my mask. He told me one day he was running for the shuttle and forgot his mask in the car. The driver begrudgingly let him on the employee shuttle. He said the shuttle driver angrily told him he was going to kill them all because he forgot to wear his mask. This made me laugh. Gosh, I needed a good laugh.

My crew to Atlanta could not have been nicer. They calmed my nerves when the Captain said we would be 35 minutes late into Atlanta. You guessed it…..We had to fly around the weather. Fortunately, I didn’t have to sit on the jumpseat to Atlanta. Instead, I sat in the last row of passenger seats. I immediately prayed to God that we landed in time for me to make my trip. Remember,….God and I were in this together. You may recall I joke that Ron is working in reroute Heaven. Yes. Ron, my Dad and my other angels are faithfully working in reroute Heaven. They, along with God, ensure I am taken care of while I am flying. So, I called on my Heavenly team to help me. They heard my plea. They really are the best angels ever. Instead of landing 35 minutes late, we landed just 10 minutes late. I, also, noticed on our flight tracker that we were rerouted over Birmingham. This made me smile. You see, Ron and I layed over in Birmingham on our last trip together. I thought,”Nice touch Mr. Paden.” Yep. Ron is forever surprising me in reroute Heaven.

I thought about my Birmingham layover with Ron as my crew and I finally headed off on our 3-day trip. I, also, recalled how we layed over the next day in El Paso. We went to dinner at one of Ron’s favorite Mexican restaurants. We sat outside in the patio area. We were surrounded by angel sculptures. It made us think of Ron’s Mom in Heaven. When we got back to the hotel, Ron and I walked down the hallway holding hands. I jokingly asked Ron if he would like to skip down the hall. Without hesitation he started to skip. I couldn’t stop laughing. To see a six foot- three inch, muscular man skipping down the hallway holding my hand, was priceless.

The next day when my crew and I took off from New Orleans to Los Angeles, I stared out at Heaven from my Skytress window. I wondered if Ron missed me in Heaven. Crazily, I even prayed for a penny from Heaven as a sign he missed me. I didn’t think about the penny again until I was heading back to my Skytress jumpseat to sit down for our landing in Los Angeles. My, oh, my! There on the floor in the last row of passenger seats was a shiny penny. My heart skipped a beat. No one had been sitting in the row the entire flight. I would have noticed the penny at some point in the flight based on where I found it prior to landing. I put the penny in my left pocket like I always do. I said a prayer of thanks. I said another prayer of thanks a short time later when I found another shiny penny in the Los Angeles airport. Yes. It was raining pennies from Heaven.

The next morning my crew and I were in Atlanta waiting for catering to come to our aircraft. I struck up a conversation with one of our In-Flight supervisors that was waiting in the jetway. She was there to make sure we had our proper catering for the flight. Yes, we are still having hiccups and glitches with the new catering system. She asked me if I head read the USA Today story on our company Facebook page about the model in one of our advertising posters in the jetway. The young woman had unfortunately passed away shortly after the picture was taken. I told the supervisor I had read the article. The young woman’s mother was flying our airline to Florida after her daughter had passed. As she went into the jetway, she saw her daughter’s poster. Her daughter’s poster says, “ I will see you soon.” The mother felt her daughter’s spirit with her in the jetway. When she returned home the mother saw another poster of her daughter in the jetway. Now mind you, not all of our jetways have the same pictures in them. The mother was definitely getting her Heavenly signs her daughter was with her. The supervisor and I both started to cry as we talked about the article. When we departed for Fort Myers I sat on my Skytress jumpseat and thought about the mother and her daughter. When we landed in Fort Myers, there was the poster of the young woman in the jetway. As I stood in the jetway talking to our deadheading pilots, I stared at the photo. I understood how simple things could mean so much to someone who was grieving. Heavenly signs are….well,…just Heavenly.

I stood at the boarding door with our Skytress In-Charge as we boarded our flight back to Atlanta. I handed out Purell hand wipes to the passengers as they boarded. We laughed and joked with the passengers. A lovely woman boarded the airplane midway through the boarding process. She wanted us to be aware of one of our passengers. She explained the young woman in 28A had just lost her Mother. The woman explained she heard the young passenger crying behind her in the gate area. She said it was a troubling cry. The woman said she turned around to comfort the young passenger. That is when she learned the young woman’s mother had passed. The young woman was flying to Atlanta and then had to drive two hours home. The woman started to cry as she told us the story. Needless to say, my Skytress In-Charge and I started to cry, too. We assured the woman we would take great care of the young passenger. After all, Skytresses and Skyters excel in comforting.

I went back into the cabin when the boarding process started to slow down. I met my fellow Skytress in the aisle. I told her about the young lady in 28A. She updated me that the young woman was now in 21A. The passenger in 21A had moved his seat so the young woman could sit next to the couple that had been consoling her in the gatehouse. Yes. We really do have the best passengers! The passenger who informed us about the young woman wanted to buy the young woman and her seat mates a cocktail during the flight. Again, …we have the best passengers. The woman thought maybe they could use something to calm their nerves. I thanked her. But, I told the kind woman her money was no good on our flight today. It would be the least I could do to comp the drinks if anyone wanted something.

The young woman and her seat mates were touched when I offered them a cocktail. However, they all declined. The young woman started to tear up when I spoke to her. I told her my heart was breaking for her. I couldn’t help myself….I started to tear up, too. As you can tell by now, laughing and crying are two of my best Skytress qualities. I walked back to the galley. I explained to my crew the young lady had a two hours drive after we landed. I told them I was going to go back and see if she needed anything for the car ride. So, I walked back to 21A. I asked the young woman if she would like anything for her drive back home. I offered her water, soda, and snacks. She held back more tears as she said, “Maybe water would be nice”. Without hesitation I headed back to the galley to place some water bottles and snacks in a bag for her. When I opened one of our carts my fellow Skytress saw some snack boxes. We weren’t supposed to be catered with the boxes. Yes. It was another catering hiccup and glitch. But, for us, it was also a catering blessing. My fellow Skytress wondered if the young lady would like one. We weren’t sure which box she would prefer. So, we put both boxes in the bag. Like I said. Skytresses and Skyters excel in comforting….. Even if all we have to work with are snack boxes. I walked back to 21A and handed the young lady the bag. I told her I put water and some snack boxes in the bag for her drive. I knew from experience she probably didn’t feel like eating. But, I hoped something in the boxes would appeal to her later, if she did want to eat. She started to cry tears of appreciation. The woman sitting next to her started to cry, too. Yes. Grief is hard. Even when it isn’t your grief. I told the passengers I would be right back. I went to the overhead bin that holds our extra lavatory supplies. I grabbed a new box of tissues. I brought the tissues back to 21A. I explained they weren’t the softest tissues….but, they still work in a pinch. The passenger in 21A smiled and said thank you. She offered the woman sitting next to her some tissues from the box. This truly touched my heart. I took a deep breath and turned away. When I got back to the galley I grabbed a cocktail napkin to dry my tears. Our cocktail napkins aren’t the softest….but, they still work in a pinch.

I thought of 21A as I sat on my Skytress jumpseat while we were preparing to land. I said prayers for her. I said prayers for her seat mates. I said prayers for the kind passenger that told us about the young woman. Ultimately, I prayed for everyone on the plane. I knew there were others on the plane that needed prayers that day, too. I knew God heard my prayers when I was overly stressed getting to work. I definitely knew he heard my prayers for the passengers. Just like Skytresses and Skyters, God excels in comforting.

I helped one of our wheelchair passengers off the plane when we landed in Atlanta. When I walked back into the airplane the passenger in 21A was walking up the aisle. Our eyes met. I told her I was so sorry her heart was breaking. I told her again that my heart was breaking for her, too. Sweetly, she reached out for a hug. I know without a doubt we both needed it. My Skytress In-Charge and the Captain stood at the boarding door as the passenger in 21A deplaned. They both commented on how the young woman and I had bonded on our flight. I wanted to tell them grief has a way of doing this. Instead, I thought of Ron and my Dad in Heaven as I wished the rest of the deplaning passengers a beautiful day.

I was anticipating waiting a couple hours for my flight home to St. Louis. However, out of habit I checked to see if the earlier flight home was delayed. Yes. Flight crews loathe flight delays. Except when a flight delay gets them home earlier. I was elated to see my early flight home to St. Louis WAS delayed. I laughed at the thought of Ron and my reroute angels working their magic in reroute Heaven. I was going to have to put some pep in my step to get to the gate in time. But, something in my heart told me I was going to make it. And I did. The crew working the flight was absolutely delightful. I handed the Skytress In-Charge my official jumpseat paperwork. Then I checked in with the pilots. When I walked out of the cockpit, the Skytress In-Charge told me she had a spot for my bags in the first-class overhead bin. Then the Skyter told me about a seat in the main cabin that was open. Alleluia! I didn’t have to sit on the jumpseat. I was so appreciative for my unexpected blessings. Especially, for the open aisle seat. Peace and gratitude filled my soul. I sat down quietly in my seat. While the crew prepared the aircraft for departure, I closed my eyes. I prayed again for the passenger in 21A. I, also, prayed to my reroute crew in Heaven. Of course, I thought of Ron.

The song, “ Make You Feel My Love”, kept bouncing around in my head the entire flight. Of course, I couldn’t remember most of the lyrics to the song. I know you all remember from my Lenten blog post that I wasn’t born with the gene that remembers song lyrics. No. I was born with the Google gene, instead. So, while I waited for the employee shuttle in St. Louis, I Googled the song. Unknowingly, I thought I was singing the song for Ron. When I read the lyrics, I knew the words were meant for me ….from Ron. He did everything this trip to show me his love. When I got in my car to drive home there were more songs that spoke directly to my heart. There was only one explanation for this. Ron had apparently left the reroute Heaven department and had made his way to DJ in the SiriusXM Heaven department. Hey, if Skytresses and Skyters can work magic on the airplane,….then there is no doubt in my mind that an angel Skyter can definitely work some DJ magic in Heaven. I couldn’t help but think of the quote, “Love is learning the song in someone’s heart and singing to them when they forget”. The last song I heard before I turned into my subdivision made me cry. Whenever I hear this song, I feel like Ron is singing it to me. Darn you, DJ Ron! Later when I headed out to grab dinner for my family, Florida Georgia Line was singing, “H.O.L.Y.”, on my car radio. Ron was excelling at his Heavenly DJ skills. I couldn’t help but smile. I knew “H.O.L.Y” was on Ron’s Lenten list of songs. When I looked at the list later that evening, so was “Make You Feel My Love”. Of course, I felt Ron’s love even more when I watched the movie, “Greater” before I went to bed.

I’m sure it won’t surprise you that every day I think about Ron and my beautiful angels in Heaven. It may surprise you that every day since I met the passenger in 21A, I have thought about her and her Mom, too. The likelihood that our paths will ever cross again is very minuscule. However, this won’t stop me from thinking about her. Yes, I will always think about the passenger in 21A. I will, also, continue to pray to God for her and her family. Yes, it’s true. Sometimes my heart and soul know things long before my brain figures it out. Other times, though, my heart, soul and brain are in sync with their understanding of things. My heart, soul AND brain know the passenger in 21A will forever have a special place in my heart.