(#phobia alert…)
I so hope you’re still here. And I promise to be gentle! It’s just that this story feels important today.
As you may recall, we moved around a lot when I was a kid, which contributed to my rather early adventures with airplanes.
I was never afraid to fly. Back in the day, it was fun. Sometimes I even got to meet the pilot. And they gave out those cool plastic wings.
Fast forward to the first time I flew with Dave. He was about 18 months old. We were in the poor, single parent phase, traveling on my Dad’s dime, to my Grandma Elsie’s 90th birthday party.
(I think they thought buying Dave and me plane tickets was a good investment, compared to a 1,000 mile road trip with us in the car. Each way!)
Getting there was bad. Especially taking off and landing. Dave had been through more than his fair share of ear infections so he was, perhaps, a bit more sensitive than usual.
He screamed. People glared. I sang. People glared more.
And all the while, I was terrified that the plan would crash and my fabulous baby would die.
Coming home was worse. We had to change planes in Atlanta, which was not familiar at that point. The flight was delayed. Dave fussed – loudly – wanting out of the stroller. I was afraid I’d lose him.
I had $1.56 cents in my purse. And no credit cards.
And there was still the whole taking off and landing thing. Again.
Elsie’s party was great. I was afraid of taking off and landing for about 16 more years! And I still had places I needed to be.
Bill used to ask whose knee I clutched when he wasn’t with me.
Then, one day, I was healed.
I was flying home to Atlanta from a hypnotherapy training in D. C.
A flight attendant, with a small face peeping out from behind her, asked if I’d like a new friend.
The young boy was flying, alone, to meet his Grandma in Atlanta. He had never flown before and was terrified.
There was no way I could decline.
Milton Erickson would have been proud. My buddy told me all about his Grandma and why he was going to visit. I told him about my Grandmas and some scary adventures they’d had along the way which were now favorite family stories about being super heroes.
We talked about how feeling afraid is actually trying to help us but – sometimes – it’s more help than we really need in the moment.
Feel free to fill in some of your own details here…
Once we got safely leveled out, I shared my Mrs. Field’s cookies and we talked about things we hoped for.
Soon, it was time to prepare for landing. My buddy gave me a thumbs up and took a deep breath. Then he said, ‘I’ve got this!”
And I did, too!
I still think of him every time I get on a plane, because I’m not afraid anymore, either.
Now, if you’re still reading, you may be wondering why this story in this moment.
That’s easy!
Just about everybody on the planet is feeling scared right now. For some of us, it’s kind of new. For others, it’s all too familiar. And it makes everything harder.
Often, though, it helps to realize we’re not the only ones and it’s okay to be scared and a bit of understanding goes a long way. It’s also okay to not need to be scared anymore!
I’ve done a couple of those way-less-scared things recently. You’ll be hearing about them soon. For today, if you’re curious about what way-less-scared looks like, come check out Fierce Art with Heart! It’s still a work-in-progress but you might just find something there that will inspire you or a loved one to branch out a bit.
ps… that bit of understanding even works for ourselves!
pps… tomorrow I have a meeting with an old friend who has several scary things on her mind just now. The lovely lady in the photo has agreed to join us. In case your eyes could use a boost, the little message in her pocket says, Live Your Dream!