Thoughts on Flight 261

On Friday, January 29, 2010, The Seattle Times front page edition carried the featured article: Alaska Flight 261/ 10 years after the crash.

The headline read: 'A part of you dies, and you will never get it back'.

It began by stating that most of the victims had spent their last days playing in the sun. It continues...that knowing that, it provides some comfort to the families and friends who have leaned on each other through the past l0 years of heartbreak and outrage since the crash of Flight 261.


It goes on to say that some of them, which they refer to collectively as "survivors", have found peace and acceptance, but others burn with anger over their personal losses. Some say the silver linings and deeper meanings of God's plans remain mysteries to them. Many believe love does transcend death in the end. And most have learned to live with a broken heart.

The survivors of Flight 261 have found ways to heal, cope and endure because they've had to.

Some found solace in their faith. Many cling to the good memories or see evidence of their loved one's spirit around them.

Many survivors also said they find some comfort in knowing that their loved ones were together, with family, or best friends, when they died.

Of that their last days had been glorious.

Many of them have found strength in each other.

The widow of Alaska's 261's pilot was quoted as saying that she has found purpose and pleasure in raising money and serving as chairman of a memorial scholarship fund created in memory of her husband and the copilot of that fatal flight.

She said the story needs to be remembered.

The grieving journey is a part of their lives.

I know all too well about that of which the survivors speak. Life, truly is very fragile and whether we give much thought to it or genuinely appreciate just how precious it is, when a loved one suddenly dies and is taken out of our lives forever, we are instantly thrown into a state of disbelief, indescribable pain and a chaotic kind of reality.

It has been almost eleven years since we lost our twenty-two year old son, Scott, as a result of a sudden death accident. He was a passenger in a vehicle that left the road and struck a tree, killing him and two friends upon impact. During that early period of loss, I can best describe my pain feeling like my own heart had been ripped out of my chest. Just like the 'survivors' of Flight 261, and all of us walking the journey following the sudden deaths of our loved ones, the harshness of our initial loss softens over time, but we will never forget them and our reality remains as painful to us as if it had only happened yesterday.

Favorite Things...

I absolutely love things with a vintage feel and touch. I know that I am not alone in this personal interest and have lots of company in the pursuit of all that is time worn and beautiful. As a kindred soul, with an appreciative beholders eye, I never seem to tire of the hunt for things with a memorable past. Ever since I was a little girl, I have had a love affair with the endless variety of wonderful memento's created before my time. For whatever reasons, it seems to draw from within me and will always be a part of me, providing a source of great joy and comfort in my everyday life. Finding special objects seems to occur by sheer accident at times, yet it is always fun to come across something unique that "asks" to be purchased and taken home for endless moments of enjoyment.

A Patch of Oregano

It was a day filled with glorious sunshine when I walked outside and sat down on the steps of our walkway to finish a bite of sandwich I made for my lunch.

I glanced down the walkway at the flower bed that fills that corner of the sidewalk leading to the driveway, and thought of the plans I have had in mind for this flower bed... yet fall short in making them happen. I have even bought plants in the past, intending to plant them there and visualizing how beautiful they would look once given a place to grow and flourish.

In the winter months, this area is absolutely barren without much sign of plant life, with exception of a couple of Rose bushes, a stately Japanese Maple tree and some Evergreen shrubs placed just off the curbside. Come Spring and warmer weather, the scenery slowly begins it's transformation and dormant plants beneath the soil begin to creep to life. A few Tulips rise up from the ground and bloom their springtime flowers, and then suddenly and steadily the Oregano plants surface and begin to grow. I have two varieties within that flower bed...each with a different hue of purple blossoms that display along the stems as they shoot up in height to maturity. I love the way they look when they are in bloom, but I am not the only one attracted and appreciative of these perennial herbal plants. They represent an important meeting ground and hub of activity for many different varieties of bees in all shapes, sizes and colors that converge each year upon this patch of oregano.

In they fly with a purpose and a mission. Time is short and of the essence for these busy and buzzing bees. It's an amazing sight to witness...really, and to acknowledge how Mother Nature created this wonderful Eco system where dedicated bees gather nectar and pollen that enable plants to reproduce. In return, pollen feeds baby bees and nectar is turned into honey to be enjoyed by other bee inhabitants in their respective hives.

As I sat there taking in the flying, the darting, the swooping down of the bees upon and amongst those flowers, I decided that perhaps what I am witnessing truly is important..and that the least I can do is to maintain the status quo. I am sure the bee communities who arrive each summer, without fail and descend upon my patch of Oregano would be in complete agreement with that decision.