Traveling this week for business, I found myself tossed into a sea of humanity.
Rolling suitcases. iPhones & ear buds. Cell conversations continuing as doors are closed. Electricity charging areas in airport waiting rooms. Subtle manners not consistently displayed.
Standing in line, I noticed something consistent in every airport I waited: no one looked at each other, everyone looked down …thumbs moving. All this technology connects us yet people seem more isolated than ever. ~sigh~
And then there she was.
An older lady, traveling alone, looked me in the eye and smiled as she took the seat next to me in Detroit.
photo source: telegraph.co.uk
Heading home to St. Louis, she’d been in Boston, visiting a daughter who doesn’t come home much anymore.
Her husband, too frail and fearful to travel these days. Her son, picking her up when the plane lands. Her stories.
About the longing in her voice when she talked of the pace of the trip, wiping away her tears as she cautiously stated they’d not seen much of each other in the five days she’d been there.
About how she really didn’t go to be a tourist, she went to see her. To be with her. To know her.
I couldn’t help but think about my Mom and the times I’ve traveled to see her. Some of our best times have been in the absence of others. I thought of the laughter, our meandering conversations, and the complete lack of schedule – on purpose.
We got off the plane and I walked with her until I spotted my colleagues; she stood there, small and quiet and a little bit lost. So I did the only thing I could think to do: I hugged her. She hugged me back like I was hers and it was in that very moment that I wished Sally’s daughter in Boston could understand that Mothers don’t just come to visit. They come to matter.
“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.”
― Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
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Today marks 3 years as a Word Press Blogger! You can read my first post, “Who’s the Turkey?” here
