Sentimental Saturday - Airplanes, Brothers and Miracles

Today I was cleaning trying to clean out my closet.  I got a bit sidetracked when I found a drawer FULL of letters from the olden days when people didn't use email and texting and blogs and facebook.  It made me think a lot about how we communicate a lot more now than we used to, but (to me, at least) those communications are more easily lost and forgotten.  I don't know... maybe if I go clean out my email inbox or read my facebook timeline, I might change my mind...

Anyway...

So I found a letter that my mom sent to me in November of 2000.  This was just a few months after I had left for college in Logan and my family had moved up to Portland.  The world was so different back then.  This was pre- 9/11.  My brother, Aric, was still living in Provo and he and I were all set to go up to Portland for Thanksgiving.  This would be our first time seeing my parents' new home in Oregon.  This was also my first time flying on an airplane since I was a young child and I was pretty nervous to be doing it without an adult (technically, I was an adult... but I didn't think of it that way... I was barely 18).  I was glad that my brother would be coming with me.

So this letter I found was one my mom had sent giving me instructions on how to check in and get my ticket (this was before you could print it at home).  If I wasn't checking any baggage, I could just go to the gate to check in.  (I know... it doesn't work like this anymore).  I was to meet my brother at the airport and MAKE SURE TO BRING MY ID.  I wouldn't be able to get my ticket without an ID.  I was also instructed to "make sure Aric checks in too."    Sounds pretty simple right?

Well.  I was pretty nervous that night.  I was worried I might be late to the airport or I might forget or lose my ID or Aric wouldn't show up on time or HE might forget HIS ID or the plane would fall out of the sky randomly or... anyway, you get the point.  Aric and I hadn't spoken before this, (this was before it was 'normal' to have cell phones and neither of us could afford to call 'long-distance')  (MAN I FEEL OLD!) and my mom had promised me that he would be getting a ride to the airport and would meet me at the gate.

I got to the airport with plenty of time to spare.  I decided (against my mother's advice) to check my baggage.  I went to the baggage check in, checked my bags and was issued my boarding pass.  Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy.  Still no sign of Aric.  This worried me a little bit because he was notorious for being a little bit unreliable (sorry Aric... it's true) and I had no idea how he was even planning on getting to the airport.  I decided to head to the gate and wait for him there.  I made it through security (simple process back then) and found the gate.  Aric wasn't there.

I sat down and nervously waited and watched.  With a good half an hour until the flight was to board, I saw the crowd part and Aric was there walking towards me.  My brother ALWAYS has a smile on his face -and he had one on this night- so I wasn't prepared for what he said to me after he hugged me.  He left his ID at home.  I didn't understand how someone could FORGET their ID when they were leaving to the airport to get on a plane.  What were we going to do?!  How was he going to get his ticket?!  I didn't want to board a plane without him!  I was too sacred to do it alone!  AHHHHHHH!

All of that went through my mind in an instant.  But my face remained calm.  He sat down next to me.  We both were realizing that he wouldn't be coming to Portland for thanksgiving and we were both sad.  For some reason I decided that I should check my boarding pass.  I don't know why but I had the outrageous idea that maybe they gave me HIS ticket instead of my own!  (I know... impossible).  He thought I was pretty silly too.  I looked at my ticket.  It had his name on it. Not mine.  This was insane.  It couldn't have happened.  There is a distinctive difference between my name and his.  How could the lady mix up my boarding pass and his?  I handed him HIS boarding pass and went to the desk at the gate.  I handed the lady my ID and told her that I was checking in for my flight (she didn't know that I was checking in for the SECOND time that night).  She looked me up in the computer and printed off my boarding pass.  Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy.

I don't know what you want to call this, luck, maybe? But I consider it to be a miracle.  I know that I have a loving Father in Heaven who is aware of me and he sends tender mercies to remind me of his love.  I needed my big brother with me that day because I was so nervous and I wasn't ready to be an adult and fly by myself.  I would have survived with out him, I'm sure, but I am so glad that I didn't have to.  :)