Healing through words 😄

When your father is an Air Force pilot, you grow up hearing stories about flying, aircraft, training cadets and adventures in the sky. You also develop a rather casual attitude towards the word danger. After all, Dad flies planes for a living.

But there is one incident from his flying days that still gives me goosebumps.

My father was posted at some Air Force station as a flying instructor, training young cadets to become pilots. One cloudy day, he was on a sortie with a trainee when suddenly the aircraft’s engine developed trouble and caught fire.

They were already at a considerable height. Bringing the aircraft under control was no easy task. My father had three responsibilities: save himself, save the trainee and, if possible, save the aircraft.

With tremendous skill and presence of mind, he managed a crash landing.

The moment the news reached us. I still remember the fear, the disbelief and that one thought racing through our mind — What if………..

Some news changes an ordinary day into a memory you carry for a lifetime.

Thankfully, both survived.

Now comes the rather unbelievable twist.

The trainee sitting beside him that day was a very good friend of mine.

Imagine discovering that one of your friends had once been quite literally sitting in the middle of a life-and-death situation with your father. Some friendships come with interesting stories; this one came with an aircraft emergency.

My father eventually retired from the Air Force, but that incident never really retired from my memory.

Whenever I think about it, a question creeps into my mind: What if he hadn’t made it? What if I had lost him that day?

For my father, it was a difficult day at work, demanding courage, training and quick decisions. For me, years later, it is a reminder of how fragile life can be.

And suddenly, all those childhood complaints about a strict father, his instructions and his endless advice seem ridiculously small.

Some moments don’t announce their importance when they happen. They become precious only when we look back and realise how easily life could have taken a different turn.

I am just grateful that my father’s story had a safe landing.

“We remember many ordinary days, but some extraordinary moments remind us just how precious an ordinary day really is.” ❤️