Last night, my plane landed in Oklahoma City.
When we stopped at the terminal, the pilot made an announcement. He told us that we were flying a fallen soldier, Brooke Newton, back home to her family. He asked us to stay seated until her casket was taken off the plane, and to please have a moment of silence.
While I sat there waiting, I looked out the window. What I saw made my heart ache. I saw a mother and father crying uncontrollably over their daughter’s casket. Soldiers from her unit stood nearby, saluting their fallen friend.
It hit me hard. I couldn’t hold back the tears. As I looked around the plane, I hoped no one would notice my tears, but to my surprise, almost everyone on the plane was crying too.
The woman sitting next to me was Muslim. She was crying and tried to comfort the woman sitting next to her. The plane was full of people from all races and religions. It was amazing to see everyone on that plane showing respect for this woman and her family.
In that moment, there was no division. It wasn’t about who we were or where we came from. We were all Americans, coming together to pay respect to a woman who gave her life for all of us and our freedom.
Author: Mike Helms Love What Matters