You don't see many 91 year olds' flying the friendly skies.
But there he was. ....making his way back to his seat on a 5 and 1/2 hour flight from Hawaii to Los Angeles late in the evening on September 11th....
He was traveling with who I thought was his son or at least grandson.
In reality, he was with his 'friend'.... his neighbor who simply said,
"Mr. Gene, was in WW 2 and he had a dream of seeing Pearl Harbor, and I wanted to make it happen, so here we are, and now he can check it off his bucket list".
Tim, his loving and kind neighbor, was determined to keep the dream alive, by making it a reality, and now a precious memory for both men. It truly warmed my heart to see such compassion being lived with such selflessness.
After 5 days in Honolulu, .......
Both are returning delightfully exhausted and afresh with solemn memories of Pearl Harbor, ...along with lighter moments swimming 'in' the ocean on the North Shore and 'catching' the rays. (I saw pictures to prove it !!).
Silhouetted sunsets with Mr. Gene gazing longingly into the distance,...
a deep water dive in a Submarine, an excursion in search of fallen vessels,...
along with memories of laughter and stories that carried over fresh cups of island grown coffee throughout their early risings,....
to heart to heart conversations that drifted over the smell of Plumeria late into the evening as the ocean lapped against the shore,... were just a few of the memories, that will always be settled warmly in their hearts.
Mr. Gene's, other neighbor (an 'elderly' neighbor), told him... not to go; but, with excellent care and great caution bridled with an uncontained enthusiasm, off they went... for a well deserved trip to a place many have called paradise on earth.
I could sense their joy, as they continued their journey home toward Florida (all in the middle of the night). They were like great adventurers charting a course that many only dream of.
Mr. Gene was part of the Greatest Generation to ever live, and to meet him on 9/11, was an unanticipated blessing for me. I will forever be grateful.
It is never too late to live your dreams,....
We are only limited,...
......by our determination to grab our 'bucket list' and carry it as far as our imaginations will take us.
But there he was. ....making his way back to his seat on a 5 and 1/2 hour flight from Hawaii to Los Angeles late in the evening on September 11th....
He was traveling with who I thought was his son or at least grandson.
In reality, he was with his 'friend'.... his neighbor who simply said,
"Mr. Gene, was in WW 2 and he had a dream of seeing Pearl Harbor, and I wanted to make it happen, so here we are, and now he can check it off his bucket list".
Tim, his loving and kind neighbor, was determined to keep the dream alive, by making it a reality, and now a precious memory for both men. It truly warmed my heart to see such compassion being lived with such selflessness.
After 5 days in Honolulu, .......
Both are returning delightfully exhausted and afresh with solemn memories of Pearl Harbor, ...along with lighter moments swimming 'in' the ocean on the North Shore and 'catching' the rays. (I saw pictures to prove it !!).
Silhouetted sunsets with Mr. Gene gazing longingly into the distance,...
a deep water dive in a Submarine, an excursion in search of fallen vessels,...
along with memories of laughter and stories that carried over fresh cups of island grown coffee throughout their early risings,....
to heart to heart conversations that drifted over the smell of Plumeria late into the evening as the ocean lapped against the shore,... were just a few of the memories, that will always be settled warmly in their hearts.
Mr. Gene's, other neighbor (an 'elderly' neighbor), told him... not to go; but, with excellent care and great caution bridled with an uncontained enthusiasm, off they went... for a well deserved trip to a place many have called paradise on earth.
I could sense their joy, as they continued their journey home toward Florida (all in the middle of the night). They were like great adventurers charting a course that many only dream of.
Mr. Gene was part of the Greatest Generation to ever live, and to meet him on 9/11, was an unanticipated blessing for me. I will forever be grateful.
It is never too late to live your dreams,....
We are only limited,...
......by our determination to grab our 'bucket list' and carry it as far as our imaginations will take us.
"But They that wait upon the Lord, shall renew their strength" -Isaiah 40:31
Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThanks Denise...have a blessed week...
ReplyDeletenice post thanks for sharing...blessings
ReplyDeleteHello, this is sally...I am following your blog now!!...So glad you have been reading my blog too...follow mine, if you like...I can not read in your language, can you add a translate button, like I have...God Bless...:)
ReplyDelete