Airport Hugs

I went to pick my grandma up from the airport last night and had the beautiful honor of watching the people from the flight before hers come out and greet their loved ones.

Now, I'm not trying to get all sappy, but I think airport reunions are the most soul reflecting moments in our world. I don't care who you are, whether you have made plans to be picked up or not, EVERYONE hopes to be greeted by a familiar face when they get off a plane.

So, as I stood there waiting for my grandma, I melted and made up stories about the people I saw:

Carl and Francis. Carl and Francis were just returning from visiting their daughter in Sacramento. She moved out there about five years ago with her husband and three daughters. Usually, she's the one that comes to visit her parents, but this time Carl surprised Francis with a trip to see their daughter, in honor of their 47th wedding anniversary....not an anniversary that holds any special epic reward except for the fact that he's still madly in love with her. So much so that he carried her purse as they descended down to baggage claim, his hand resting on her back as if it felt more comfortable there than hanging idly from his arm. They didn't expect anyone to be waiting for them because they had already shown up for each other.

Tina, Wade, and Cheryl. Tina and Cheryl are sisters. Cheryl just flew in from Washington with her husband Wade and their four year old daughter, Chrissy. Tina waited anxiously for their arrival while holding her own four year old child, Braydon, in her arms. It's been only six months since these sisters saw each other, but Grandpa Darren's funeral was hardly a reason for celebration, so this visit was going to be sooo much better...just what they needed. Upon arrival, Tina feverishly grabbed her niece and Cheryl dramatically swooped up her nephew as if they were clinging more to the reminders of their sisterhood as it had been in their youth than the children their adulthood had produced. Wade stood by, knowing better than to get in the way of women and sisters and children and all of that. Cheryl held Braydon and Tina now had Chrissy as they went off to retrieve the bags that Wade would no doubt be left to carry.

The Porter Family. Mr. and Mrs. Porter found out 10 years ago that they would never be able to have children. After two years of mourning and 45 marriage counseling sessions, they decided their love for children was not meant to be withheld due to this minor setback. So, they started to look into adoption. Mr. Porter was anxious to begin the search for a tiny infant they could raise as their own, but Mrs. Porter felt strongly that the children waiting for them were in another country and were already past those first developmental years. It took some time for Mr. Porter to be in agreement, but eventually he knew that his wife was right. These children deserved homes, too. So, they showed up at the Will Rogers Airport at 7:45 p.m. on Monday August 13, 2007, with a red balloon, a white balloon, and a blue balloon. The next fifteen minutes were spent on tiptoes as they craned their necks to see her coming. And when they finally noticed Sung-Li, they hoisted their signs that bore her name above their head, and waved furiously. An unapologetically American wave. Sung-Li, shy and insecure from the circumstances that made up her nine year old existence, humbly bowed her head and allowed herself to become liquid, bending like a question mark as she melted into the arms of this new family that chose her. She accepted the patriotic balloons and wondered quietly when she would get the opportunity to embrace them again.

It was such a great privilege to watch these reunions and that last one honestly made me choke up. Not tear up. Choke up. I was choking on tears because it was such a delicate, human moment. And then I felt dumb for crying because come on. Who cries at the airport??? Oh wait. Lots of people...

Then, my grandma wheeled around the corner. I gave her an "airport hug" and we went and got her bags and went home. And the parking was free! Yay!