As a father with a 35 year old daughter, I'm guessing that as joyous as this experience was for you, it was equally joyous for your father. And maybe even more so, because it's relatively easy to make our children happy when they're younger, but to share such an experience with your adult child and see how happy you've made them is a special type of parental nirvana.
Thank you for this post. I was smiling while I was reading it.
How lovely, Rebecca! This was a feel-good piece, through and through. I’m so glad I got to live this experience vicariously! What a joy! I can absolutely relate to the joy of flying - not in a glider, but a helicopter. I loved how I could see *everything*, not too close to the ground, and not too far away either. I’ve always said I’d love to learn to fly- you’re definitely encouraging that 🥰
Wow, what a blast Rebecca! As always, kudos to the photographer! We felt like we were on the tow rope with you!
When I was a teenager, I had heard you could get your glider pilot's license at 14. (thought this would be a short cut to my driver's license!) Always thought that would be cool.
So glad you got to experience it with your dad. I know you were both 'in the clouds! Thanks Rebecca!
OH my, Rebecca! I was right there with you! Even to the nausea you were starting to experience!! LOL!
For a long time I had been petrified of flying. Having had a massive panic attack in 1998 on take off on a flight to Georgia with my husband. We ended up renting a car for the return trip. I just couldn’t bring myself to get on another plane!
Over the ensuing years I learned and did a lot of energy work on myself. Journaling, EFT-(Emotional Freedom Technique), Reiki, self-hypnosis, etc.
Then in 2013 I drove to FL for the winter, and met up with a pen-pal--(do they even call them that anymore when it’s thru the internet?) Anyway, he had been an American Airlines pilot for many years then retired. But he kept up his license status so he could fly the little planes at the local air strips because he enjoyed flying.
One weekend he invited me to fly with him. Silly me, I accepted. Wait, was I ready for this? It was time to test out all the energy work I’d done on myself. At one point I use to be claustrophobic driving through tunnels, and I’d gotten over that with the help of EFT.
At the airport there was the tiniest little plane sitting among other larger ones, and my first thought was, “I hope that’s not the one we’re going up in!”
Yes, it was! A little Cessna.
Well, we stood around that plane for forty-five minutes with my doing EFT tapping on myself til I was almost black and blue, and he gently telling me things that were further calming me through my tears, and then finally laughter as I got back my courage and no longer felt what the big deal was all about to begin with. YES!
He patiently showed me everything and he checked everything before we even got in the little two seater cockpit. Like you, I felt like I had to fold up all my legs just to get them into the plane, and my shoulders too are quite broad. (I’m built like my dad.)
After an hour we were finally off the ground. Of course it was a lot noisier than a glider but the headphones we wore helped that and helped us communicate. I felt like a little girl on Christmas morning once we were up in the air! I took lots of pictures, smiling like a Cheshire Cat the whole time! And he too allowed me to “take the controls” at one point.
I’ve not been afraid of flying since that experience and a year ago yesterday I was flying back from my first ever trip over the big pond to Scotland!
Thank you for this memory flashback. I love it that your Dad gifted you this new passion. Dad’s are the greatest! ❤️
A lovely story Rebecca and how wonderful to do it with your dad. It’s an experience that will have been as wonderful to him and it was to you, simply because you were with him. Just like you he will never forget the experience, it will always be amongst his very happy memories. Well done,
What a lovely story Rebecca, I enjoyed reading it. It will have been a very special experience for your dad too, a wonderful memory and one he will always remember. Well done.
I could feel my dad's energy with me as I read this. He was learning to fly when he met my mother. He'd wanted to be an astrophysicist but said he wasn't smart enough. When my folks got serious about marriage my mom said she needed him to give up flying. Fifty+ years later he loved sitting in their back yard looking at the clouds and planes in the sky as he lived near an airport. He brought back lots of pictures from clouds on every flight-vacation-trip he ever took. I feel he lost a part of his soul agreeing to that condition. This was a treat! Thank you for sharing it.
Another wonderful adventure - this time through the air! How I would have loved to watch this flight. And maybe even get in the back seat with you next time you go up. What a thrill! A beautiful piece of writing. Dear Reader, I'm Lost - it never disappoints.
very heartwarming, Rebecca. What a wonderful gift and wonderful experience. E and I went for a gliding lesson about twenty years ago. I loved it, you describe it so well. I also love the fact that your dad is still doing the thing he loves.
As a father with a 35 year old daughter, I'm guessing that as joyous as this experience was for you, it was equally joyous for your father. And maybe even more so, because it's relatively easy to make our children happy when they're younger, but to share such an experience with your adult child and see how happy you've made them is a special type of parental nirvana.
Thank you for this post. I was smiling while I was reading it.
robertsdavidn.substack.com/about (free)
Lovely artwork as always 💜 but holy smokes, I am excited for you and your dad... how incredible was that experience!! 🥹
Your poetry quote also made me giggle; a classmate - a budding pilot and Air Force cadet - used an adapted version as his graduation yearbook quote:
“Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth/
And touched the face of God/
(He had a beard)”.
Oh my gosh what a beautiful story, I was grinning as I read it. Well done!
great story rebecca; loved your adventure in the air with your pop.
How lovely, Rebecca! This was a feel-good piece, through and through. I’m so glad I got to live this experience vicariously! What a joy! I can absolutely relate to the joy of flying - not in a glider, but a helicopter. I loved how I could see *everything*, not too close to the ground, and not too far away either. I’ve always said I’d love to learn to fly- you’re definitely encouraging that 🥰
Wow, what a blast Rebecca! As always, kudos to the photographer! We felt like we were on the tow rope with you!
When I was a teenager, I had heard you could get your glider pilot's license at 14. (thought this would be a short cut to my driver's license!) Always thought that would be cool.
So glad you got to experience it with your dad. I know you were both 'in the clouds! Thanks Rebecca!
OH my, Rebecca! I was right there with you! Even to the nausea you were starting to experience!! LOL!
For a long time I had been petrified of flying. Having had a massive panic attack in 1998 on take off on a flight to Georgia with my husband. We ended up renting a car for the return trip. I just couldn’t bring myself to get on another plane!
Over the ensuing years I learned and did a lot of energy work on myself. Journaling, EFT-(Emotional Freedom Technique), Reiki, self-hypnosis, etc.
Then in 2013 I drove to FL for the winter, and met up with a pen-pal--(do they even call them that anymore when it’s thru the internet?) Anyway, he had been an American Airlines pilot for many years then retired. But he kept up his license status so he could fly the little planes at the local air strips because he enjoyed flying.
One weekend he invited me to fly with him. Silly me, I accepted. Wait, was I ready for this? It was time to test out all the energy work I’d done on myself. At one point I use to be claustrophobic driving through tunnels, and I’d gotten over that with the help of EFT.
At the airport there was the tiniest little plane sitting among other larger ones, and my first thought was, “I hope that’s not the one we’re going up in!”
Yes, it was! A little Cessna.
Well, we stood around that plane for forty-five minutes with my doing EFT tapping on myself til I was almost black and blue, and he gently telling me things that were further calming me through my tears, and then finally laughter as I got back my courage and no longer felt what the big deal was all about to begin with. YES!
He patiently showed me everything and he checked everything before we even got in the little two seater cockpit. Like you, I felt like I had to fold up all my legs just to get them into the plane, and my shoulders too are quite broad. (I’m built like my dad.)
After an hour we were finally off the ground. Of course it was a lot noisier than a glider but the headphones we wore helped that and helped us communicate. I felt like a little girl on Christmas morning once we were up in the air! I took lots of pictures, smiling like a Cheshire Cat the whole time! And he too allowed me to “take the controls” at one point.
I’ve not been afraid of flying since that experience and a year ago yesterday I was flying back from my first ever trip over the big pond to Scotland!
Thank you for this memory flashback. I love it that your Dad gifted you this new passion. Dad’s are the greatest! ❤️
A lovely story Rebecca and how wonderful to do it with your dad. It’s an experience that will have been as wonderful to him and it was to you, simply because you were with him. Just like you he will never forget the experience, it will always be amongst his very happy memories. Well done,
Love Sheila xxx
What a lovely story Rebecca, I enjoyed reading it. It will have been a very special experience for your dad too, a wonderful memory and one he will always remember. Well done.
Great story, Rebecca! I have been gliding once. Would love to do it again!
As a father of adult children, I read with a smile and a tear or two. Wonderful, Rebecca.
That was wonderful to read
I could feel my dad's energy with me as I read this. He was learning to fly when he met my mother. He'd wanted to be an astrophysicist but said he wasn't smart enough. When my folks got serious about marriage my mom said she needed him to give up flying. Fifty+ years later he loved sitting in their back yard looking at the clouds and planes in the sky as he lived near an airport. He brought back lots of pictures from clouds on every flight-vacation-trip he ever took. I feel he lost a part of his soul agreeing to that condition. This was a treat! Thank you for sharing it.
Another wonderful adventure - this time through the air! How I would have loved to watch this flight. And maybe even get in the back seat with you next time you go up. What a thrill! A beautiful piece of writing. Dear Reader, I'm Lost - it never disappoints.
very heartwarming, Rebecca. What a wonderful gift and wonderful experience. E and I went for a gliding lesson about twenty years ago. I loved it, you describe it so well. I also love the fact that your dad is still doing the thing he loves.