Taking Flight, Coming Home
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Sometime in early January (or maybe it was December), Ginny called with an idea: she was going to go to a conference in South Carolina with her mom, and Ann Voskamp was speaking there. Remembering the time we spent two years ago, Ginny wondered if I'd fly to Charlotte with her before the conference. Ann could meet us there. The plan was to spend some time visiting Elizabeth DeHority. Then, she and Ann would drive on to the conference.
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In the comfort of my kitchen, with late March far enough away, I readily agreed and planned to stay an extra night so I could extend my time with Elizabeth a wee bit. My sweet husband looked dubious. I'm not the most intrepid traveler. But he agreed and found a flight and presented me with tickets. I was going.
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The time came and I found myself in the car on the way to the airport. My cell phone rang. It was Sarah. Crying. Putting her to bed the previous night, I'd promised to read her Cinderella over breakfast. She was asleep when I kissed her goodbye. And she was devastated when I wasn't there. I promised to read as soon as I got to the gate. First, I had to stop crying. I don't leave easily.
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I kissed Mike goodbye, did all my shoe removal and whatever and made it through security. I found my way to gate, googled Cinderella, found a story online, and called Sarah. I had to hold the phone away from my face to read the story. And I had to hold it way, way away from my face to see the tiny font. So, I sat in Dulles Airport, my phone on speaker, and shouted Cinderella to my daughter while she ate breakfast. When people glanced my way, I just met their gazes with a look that said, "What? You don't do fairytales for breakfast?"
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Sarah was happy.
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Shortly, Ginny joined me. And we did what we do when we're stressed. We whipped out our knitting. There we sat, sitting and knitting--the weird lady who shouted Cinderella and her friend. We knit and chatted all the way to Charlotte, navigated the airport quite handily, and found ourselves hugging Elizabeth before too long.
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We spent several happy hours back at the hotel, chatting, knitting, drinking tea, and eating exceedingly good takeout food. Then, we headed back to the airport to gather Ann. It was late when we returned to the hotel and Elizabeth went home to bed. Ann, Ginny, and I kept talking until the wee hours of the morning. Ginny and I even got to share Nicky's wedding toast with Ann.
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The next day, Ann and Ginny left after lunch time. I drove Elizabeth to a fabulously giant fabric store and spent way too much time thinking about buttons. We had plenty of time to just talk. And listen. It was a much, much earlier night. Elizabeth went home to her boys and I spent my first night alone in over 25 years.
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The next morning, I got a little bit of a violin education when I had the great pleasure of accompanying the DeHority family to a group violin class and an adjudication. We spent a pleasant morning and early afternoon at the Community School of the Arts and I got to meet several of the people who live and learn with my friends. All too soon, I was on my way back to the airport to head home.
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Home! I arrived at the Charlotte airport two hours before departure, got through security, and walked all the way to the E gate. Then I received a phone call that my flight was at least 40 minutes delayed. I called Mike and he nudged me towards customer service. There, I inquired about earlier flights and switched my destination to Reagan, instead of Dulles. The very kind woman at the gate said there was a flight boarding at the C gate and encouraged me to make a run for it. Run I did. And I boarded.
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I landed at Reagan 10 minutes after my original departure time. Mike just happened to be nearby in McLean for Nick's game (which was delayed half an hour). He came to get me and we arrived for kickoff:-).
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