When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.
Leonardo da Vinci
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
A difficult time
July 31, 2010
I got the worst phone call that you can get. My Dad called to tell me that my brother Warren died when he crashed his glider. This is something that you can never see coming. When my dad called, I really felt like it was about my mom. But no.
Warren had learned how to fly gliders a few years ago. On this day he had been flying with friends in other gliders. Somehow his friends lost contact with him. A while later they found his crashed glider. He had crashed in a canyon just north of Morgan Utah. Words can barely tell you how I've cried.
I'm glad that I have faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. This has helped carry me through this difficult period. My parents though, have had a real difficult time with all of it. They are in their 80's and never expected to lose a son. My Dad seems to be especially bad. Being the only son left, I almost feel like I'm the glue holding everything together. My dad keeps asking me why. Why couldn't he have made a turn that would have prevented him from crashing? Some things are not for us to know.
I've been in contact with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) but I'm not getting much out of them. Through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), I was able to get a copy of the crash report. But everything I was interested in has been censored. C'mon! I'm his brother!!!! I guess they are not happy until you are not happy.
Over the years, if I really thought hard about Warren, he'd probably call. Now I know he is in Heaven. And when I've said my evening prayers, I've asked Heavenly Father to watch over Warren. I've also foolishly wondered if Warren would call and tell me what it's like there.
But I've not received any phone calls. Perhaps Warren just hasn't gotten permission to call!
In the last five years or so, we haven't been that close. But Warren, I really miss you.
One evening while thinking about all of this, I came up with a poem. Now I'm not a writer by any means. But I hope you'll indulge me for a little bit.
Take Flight
Some say that Angels have wings
I hope you can fly in Heaven
And I hope they gave you these kind of wings
White, long and slender
And able to catch the slightest of a breeze
Spread them out and take flight
For Heaven only knows how far you'll go today
How many thermals does a sailplane pilot need?
Just one more
To take you home.
Warren,
I got the worst phone call that you can get. My Dad called to tell me that my brother Warren died when he crashed his glider. This is something that you can never see coming. When my dad called, I really felt like it was about my mom. But no.
Warren had learned how to fly gliders a few years ago. On this day he had been flying with friends in other gliders. Somehow his friends lost contact with him. A while later they found his crashed glider. He had crashed in a canyon just north of Morgan Utah. Words can barely tell you how I've cried.
I'm glad that I have faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. This has helped carry me through this difficult period. My parents though, have had a real difficult time with all of it. They are in their 80's and never expected to lose a son. My Dad seems to be especially bad. Being the only son left, I almost feel like I'm the glue holding everything together. My dad keeps asking me why. Why couldn't he have made a turn that would have prevented him from crashing? Some things are not for us to know.
I've been in contact with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) but I'm not getting much out of them. Through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), I was able to get a copy of the crash report. But everything I was interested in has been censored. C'mon! I'm his brother!!!! I guess they are not happy until you are not happy.
Over the years, if I really thought hard about Warren, he'd probably call. Now I know he is in Heaven. And when I've said my evening prayers, I've asked Heavenly Father to watch over Warren. I've also foolishly wondered if Warren would call and tell me what it's like there.
But I've not received any phone calls. Perhaps Warren just hasn't gotten permission to call!
In the last five years or so, we haven't been that close. But Warren, I really miss you.
One evening while thinking about all of this, I came up with a poem. Now I'm not a writer by any means. But I hope you'll indulge me for a little bit.
Take Flight
Some say that Angels have wings
I hope you can fly in Heaven
And I hope they gave you these kind of wings
White, long and slender
And able to catch the slightest of a breeze
Spread them out and take flight
For Heaven only knows how far you'll go today
How many thermals does a sailplane pilot need?
Just one more
To take you home.
Warren,
May you have strong thermals everyday. God be with you till we meet again.
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