The Three Amigas

Flying back home from Florida last week, I will met with the usual frustration of an airport delay... grounded in tampa by the weather in Newark for almost two hours. It was not a big deal as I had a good book, Infinite Jest and I was able to catch a decadent nacho meal and a cocktail while constructing a poem. Since I do not own a cell phone, I was hoping my husband watched the flight status on-line (he did) and I boarded the plane for the 2 1/2 hour ride home. I prefer the window seat when flying, and like a child I still get a thrill watching the take-off and peering out amongst the clouds and tiny villages from a distance. My neighbors were two older women like myself and instead of opening my book to look disinterested, I smiled and introduced myself. Within minutes the three of us became engaged in a chat-fest about ourselves, our lives, our passions, fears and frustrations... as if we were old friends on a reminisce. It's funny how sometimes you can be so open and honest with perfect strangers with whom the chances are improbable that you will ever see again. We offered each other encouragement, reflective assessments, advice, and the gift of laughter... the flight seemed like minutes instead of hours.

There was so much wisdom exchanged that we decided that this was no chance encounter, but rather a meeting of women who all needed something from one another at that precise moment in time. I will not soon forget their stories and their honesty... the strength of admitting mistakes and failures, but knowing how to creatively put things right. Though I will not go into the details of our conversation, I can say that we each gained a new perspective and were much richer for the encounter. I am thankful for our meeting and realized that it all began with a welcoming smile.