"I Love You with All My Heart"

According to planecrashinfo.com (who knew there was such a website!?), the odds of being killed in a plane crash, taking into account the 78 major world airlines' statistical histories.... 1 in 4.7 million.  Wow, this number is WAY lower than I expected...* huge sigh of relief *

I know, I know.... this is an incredibly morbid and depressing topic, but as I am packing for an (aggregate) 12 hour flight to meet my husband for a 48 hour business trip, I have had such unusual anxiety over leaving my children.....I know I am being crazy, neurotic, irrational, insane.... I remember a few years ago thinking my sister had lost her mind when she had the "if anything were to happen" talk with me just before traveling to Scotland for a wedding.  OK, NOW I get it!  Apparently, this is what the severity of your love for your children will do to you.  There is just something so daunting about flying so far away and being so physically distant from them.  Since we have had kids, we have taken only a few short trips, but most of these were just a short weekend / easy flight away.  Although this trip is only three nights and I have never been afraid of flying, I have been on edge all week..

SO, to ease my mind, I have decided that in the 11th hour, as I should be climbing into bed to get a good nights' sleep, I dare not mess with fate.  In the same fashion that you 'chase the rain away' by bringing an umbrella, I need to document SOMETHING (even if it is merely sharing another's eloquent words, since I have simply run out of time at this point)....JUST IN CASE of a freak accident....Essentially, I have told my self, this preparedness will certainly ensure a safe landing, right?

What came to mind, was this amazing letter I vividly remember reading in a magazine several years ago, about a man with terminal cancer who wrote a letter to his young children.  It was so well-written, heartwarming, and inspiring.  I wish I could track it down....but as I attempted to do so with endless google searches, I did come across similar note from another father, equally brave and insightful....He captures so many important life lessons, so I wanted to share it below...

From Daily Mail, "A father's message from beyond the grave: My darling children, here's how to live your lives when Daddy's gone" by Rachel Porter....You can read the full story in the attached link, but I wanted to share just his letter below...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2017876/A-fathers-message-grave-My-darling-children-heres-live-lives-Daddys-gone.html

A FATHER'S RULES FOR FINDING FULFILLMENT

•  Be courteous, be punctual, always say please and thank you, and be sure to hold your knife and fork properly. Others take their cue on how to treat you from your manners.
• Be kind, considerate and compassionate when others are in trouble, even if you have problems of your own. Others will admire your selflessness and will help you in due course.
• Show moral courage. Do what is right, even if that makes you unpopular. I always thought it important to be able to look at myself in the shaving mirror every morning and not feel guilt or remorse. I depart this world with a pretty clear conscience.
• Show humility. Stand your ground but pause to reflect on what the other side are saying, and back off when you know you are wrong. Never worry about losing face. That only happens when you are pig-headed.
• Learn from your mistakes. You will make plenty so use them as a learning tool. If you keep making the same mistake or run into a problem, you’re doing something wrong.
• Avoid disparaging someone to a third party; it is only you who will look bad. If you have a problem with someone, tell them face to face.
• Hold fire! If someone crosses you, don’t react immediately. Once you say something it can never be taken back, and most people deserve a second chance.
• Have fun. If this involves taking risks, so be it. If you get caught, hold your hands up.
• Give to charity and help those who are less fortunate than yourselves: it’s easy and so rewarding.
• Always look on the upside! The glass is half full, never half empty. Every adversity has a silver lining if you seek it out.
• Make it your instinct always to say ‘yes’. Look for reasons to do something, not reasons to say no. Your friends will cherish you for that.
• Be canny: you will get more of what you want if you can give someone more of what they desire. Compromise can be king.
• Always accept a party invitation. You may not want to go, but they want you there. Show them courtesy and respect.
• Never ever let a friend down. I would bury bodies for my friends, if they asked me to . . . which is why I have chosen them carefully.
• Always tip for good service. It shows respect. But never reward poor service. Poor service is insulting.
• Always treat those you meet as your social equal, whether they are above or below your station in life. For those above you, show due deference, but don’t be a sycophant.
• Always respect age, as age equals wisdom.
• Be prepared to put the interests of your sibling first.
• Be proud of who you are and where you come from, but open your mind to other cultures and languages. When you begin to travel (as I hope you will), you’ll learn that your place in the world is both vital and insignificant. Don’t get too big for your breeches.
• Be ambitious, but not nakedly so. Be prepared to back your assertions with craftsmanship and hard work.
• Live every day to its full: do something that makes you smile or laugh, and avoid procrastination.
• Give of your best at school. Some teachers forget that pupils need incentives. So if your teacher doesn’t give you one, devise your own.
• Always pay the most you can afford. Never skimp on hotels, clothing, shoes, make-up or jewelry. But always look for a deal. You get what you pay for.
• Never give up! My two little soldiers have no dad, but you are brave, big-hearted, fit and strong. You are also loved by an immensely kind and supportive team of family and friends. You make your own good fortune, my children, so battle on.
• Never feel sorry for yourself, or at least don’t do it for long. Crying doesn’t make things better.
• Look after your body and it will look after you.
• Learn a language, or at least try. Never engage a person abroad in conversation without first greeting them in their own language; by all means ask if they speak English!
• And finally, cherish your mother, and take very good care of her.

I love you both with all my heart.
Daddy x

LOVE this list. Well said.

And... just a few of my favorite pics with my favorite little people in the world...to remind them that I, too, love (them) with all my heart....