On our way home from California last week our plane was diverted to Richmond, VA because of bad weather. When we landed there the pilot announced he was glad to be on the ground and not navigating the storm. It ended up being an overnight stay and we didn’t check into our hotel until 1am. After a long travel day with a toddler I expected some kind of meltdown moment, but our family navigated it with grace.
And you know what else? All of the people on our flight were calm about it, too. There was a sense of communal commiseration, but not one person screamed at a flight attendant. We had a long wait in the terminal that night to get hotel rooms and two older boys became an instant hit with our toddler when they pulled an RC car out of their backpack. The gratitude I felt in that moment, that some strangers would entertain a very tired toddler for another hour, was immense.
The passengers and crew reunited the next morning to board our final flight and it felt like seeing old friends. One of the flight attendants greeted my son by name. The older children pulled the RC car out once again and played together for that interminable hour before boarding. Most people made eye contact with one another and asked, “How was your night, where did you end up staying?”
Our total travel time was extended by about 18 hours, even though the last leg was only a short 45 minute flight home.
At the baggage carousel I witnessed seatmates hugging their new friends before embarking on their rest of their journey. This group spent nearly 24 hours together and coming out the other end I felt a hope for humanity that has been severely missing for me lately. Perhaps we collectively do have the capacity to navigate tough terrain together and come out closer than we went in.
Small things
As I try to inhabit the seasons, I’m learning that summer is not a time for big, engrossing projects. Instead what’s working is maintenance. Embracing small creative acts, or tiny pieces of a larger puzzle, but nothing that requires many days and many hours. Summer is a time for block parties, visitors, and vacations. I haven’t sat down regularly to do anything since late May.
Perhaps also, this is the season of my life with a small child in tow. I am accepting this fever dream summer and trying not to panic that my practice has dissolved for now. Summer is just a once a year diversion and my routines will click back into place when the first crisp breeze comes back to town.
Thank you for the reminder that I very much needed to hear: summer is for rest 🧡
Glad your family survived the travel delay with such grace! My family, too, has had travel delays in the form of unexpected overnights due to flight cancellations (more than one with a toddler in tow) plus long delays due to construction zone accidents. I have also found that in general, people commiserate together when such things happen and any supposed differences dissolves. Makes one realize we all actually have more in common than not, really.