On flying in planes
The last time I flew in a plane, was flying home from Uganda with Jensen in November. He was so entranced with the plane and flying. He had this look of amazement that I won't ever forget. He has expressed his desire to be a pilot since I met him & he hasn't wavered in that dream.
Never did I imagine that the next time I would fly in a plane, it would be with Jensen as the co-pilot. Most who know me know that I am not a huge fan of flying. The aviation teacher at the high school I work at graciously offered to take us up for a flight. I was SO excited for J, and mildly terrified all at the same time. Jensen counted down the days until his flight and the day of he asked if I would accompany him in the plane. As much as I dislike flying, it was impossible to say no to the little twinkle in his eye.
I was terrified- Jensen was SO excited {though he remained calm, cool, and collected}. The pilot showed him all the gears and gadgets, gave him a map, and explained every step of the process to him. As we took off, Jensen stared out the right side of the plane with a look of wonder in his eyes. It was the same look he had when we were taking off in Uganda.
He was very quiet, I asked him if he was scared and he quickly replied 'no'. He was just taking his flight and duty as a 'co-pilot' very serious.
We flew over the nearby Air Force base, the Puget sound, Chamber's Bay, the Narrows Bridge, Tacoma, and back around to the local airport. Up above Tacoma, the pilot let Jensen take control of steering the plane {my grip on the seat may have gotten a tad bit more intense at this point}. He guided Jensen on how to do it, and Jensen was phenomenal. He turned the plane, straightened it out, turned some more, and helped us all the way back to the airport.
As he 'flew' the plane. My eyes welled with tears. Just one year ago, I flew to Uganda to turn in our paperwork to bring him home. He barely knew me. He was unsure, but working so hard to trust me. Here we are one year later. He has been home for 4 months. He is trusting, he is happy, he is kind, and he is brave. Beyond that, he is dreaming & he clings to hope. He has so much hope for his future. I don't doubt for a second that he will do whatever he puts his mind to.
After we got off the plane, Jensen looked at me and said- "mom I wanted you to come with me because I knew you would like it". He was right-- I loved it.
Never did I imagine that the next time I would fly in a plane, it would be with Jensen as the co-pilot. Most who know me know that I am not a huge fan of flying. The aviation teacher at the high school I work at graciously offered to take us up for a flight. I was SO excited for J, and mildly terrified all at the same time. Jensen counted down the days until his flight and the day of he asked if I would accompany him in the plane. As much as I dislike flying, it was impossible to say no to the little twinkle in his eye.
I was terrified- Jensen was SO excited {though he remained calm, cool, and collected}. The pilot showed him all the gears and gadgets, gave him a map, and explained every step of the process to him. As we took off, Jensen stared out the right side of the plane with a look of wonder in his eyes. It was the same look he had when we were taking off in Uganda.
He was very quiet, I asked him if he was scared and he quickly replied 'no'. He was just taking his flight and duty as a 'co-pilot' very serious.
We flew over the nearby Air Force base, the Puget sound, Chamber's Bay, the Narrows Bridge, Tacoma, and back around to the local airport. Up above Tacoma, the pilot let Jensen take control of steering the plane {my grip on the seat may have gotten a tad bit more intense at this point}. He guided Jensen on how to do it, and Jensen was phenomenal. He turned the plane, straightened it out, turned some more, and helped us all the way back to the airport.
As he 'flew' the plane. My eyes welled with tears. Just one year ago, I flew to Uganda to turn in our paperwork to bring him home. He barely knew me. He was unsure, but working so hard to trust me. Here we are one year later. He has been home for 4 months. He is trusting, he is happy, he is kind, and he is brave. Beyond that, he is dreaming & he clings to hope. He has so much hope for his future. I don't doubt for a second that he will do whatever he puts his mind to.
After we got off the plane, Jensen looked at me and said- "mom I wanted you to come with me because I knew you would like it". He was right-- I loved it.
Comments
Post a Comment