Granting Permission to Fly

Saturday March 19, 2016  2:15 AM

At the cafe! With Amy!!!

Tiredness is seeping in but I don't let it claim me, not yet. I'm trying to stay awake for a little while longer.  Not like "it's night shift and I have to stay awake" but because somewhere in the world it is not 2:15 AM, but 1:15 PM and there are sisters enjoying iced coffee together in a cafe in Bangkok, Thailand.

These sisters are separated by 2 years and 4 months. One trends towards being shorter and is brunette with chocolate brown eyes. The other is inches taller with blond hair and blue eyes. They are different but still peas in a pod.

A sister relationship is simple and complex. They can be completely irritated at each other one minute and the next they are borrowing each other's clothes again. They can be best friends or they can just barely tolerate each other. Sisters. Simple. Complex.


These two girls of mine have been buddies pretty much since Day 1 after Heather was born. Not that they didn't have typical moments of misunderstanding and much shouting, but for the most part, they got along. Maybe it was their ages and spacing. Maybe it was their temperaments. I don't know really, but I am thankful that they get along with each other so well and aren't just sisters, but friends.

Call me crazy, but it was this relationship that gave me the push to let Heather fly to Thailand to visit Amy who has been there since December and won't return home until later in May. Heather has never flown. Ever. And I am not exactly a world traveler comfortable with all things international. She was going to fly with another couple that we knew and when plans changed last minute, I was in a quandary. Do we let Heather go across the world alone? Or do we break her heart which had much anticipated this journey, not just to see another city in another country, but to see her much-loved, much-missed sister?

At first, I was leaning towards breaking her heart. I mean, she had NEVER flown. I couldn't even remember if she'd ever seen an airport (except in movies). Then God stepped in when I kinda wasn't expecting it and He gave me such a peace about her going ahead with the plan, even if the plan was altered, and I know this peace was from Him because it really did bypass all logical understanding and reasoning. At least, my kind of understanding and reasoning.

God sent Mr. Lais to us that evening and he coached Heather (and us) through airport procedure and then he prayed with us. And the peace grew in my heart. She'd be okay. We could do this. She could do this.

Thursday March 17, 7:20 AM: Heading to the airport. 

Same day at about 7:10 AM: yes, she looks extremely nervous. And she missed the sunrise. 

Still Thursday...9:43 AM: Still, not very nervous as we enter the airport. Except for the moment of her parents freaking out in the parking garage because we didn't know if it was the right parking garage and if we were even in the right place. Even then, it was her parents freaking, not her. 

Thursday morning continues....9:57 AM. Calm, cool, classy. That's my girl.  

Me? Not so much. But I tried. And cried. Just a little. After she left. But that's cool. 

11:51 AM: They just called to start boarding her flight. This was the only time I thought she looked even a little nervous. I'm just glad I didn't break out in an echoing nervous peal of laughter. I've been known to do that. She was glad too. 

11:53 AM: Can you see her? In the middle of the line? Still looking fine! We were even on time! 

(If you know me, you know how impressive that last part is.) 

12:03 PM: And then she boarded the plane and I had no choice but to turn away and head back alone to where Leo was waiting. I was thankful that I had a pass to go with her to the gate; it made it easier when the time came to see her off. Kinda. I still cried. But it wasn't sad tears really. They were a mix of happy and proud and nostalgic and "when did my baby girl grow up" tears. 

Friday March 18 1:26PM my time (and something like Saturday morning 12:30 AM Thailand time): This picture came across my Facebook messages. I cried again. 

I think the happy thing they had going on way back in the summer of 2000 is still going on today. What do you think? And they are still just as cute as ever.

Sunday March 20 5:14 PM: I'm thinking of my girls. I'm missing all of them today; Adrienne up around Pittsburgh, Amy and Heather in Thailand, but I have peace. So very thankful for that today, at this time. Girls, you have been granted permission to fly.

Love,

Dianne